Hakuouki
by Nanami264
Summary: Chizuru and Chiaki live in Edo, Japan. When their father, Kodo Yukimura, who is a doctor, disappears in Kyoto while on business, the two twin girls decide to set off to find them. Their number one goal was to find their father, but what happens when they stumble upon the Shinsengumi? Will their father be the only thing they find in the bustling city of Kyoto?
1. Chapter 1

**Description:**

Chizuru and Chiaki live in Edo, Japan. When they're father, Kodo Yukimura, who is a doctor, disappears in Kyoto while on business, the two twin girls decide to set off to find them. Their number one goal was to find their father, but what happens when they stumble upon the Shinsengumi? Will their father be the only thing they find in the bustling city of Kyoto?

1: Prologue

 _Running._

 _Fire._

 _The smoke._

 _The sound of guns shooting._

 _A man commanding his men, telling him not to let anyone go._

 _That was what surrounded me and my thoughts, as I was being chased in a familiar incident. I remembered running for my life with two twin siblings of mine. One a boy, and another a girl. At one point, my twin sister fell and it left us separated from out brother who mysteriously vanished._

 _My older twin sister had stumbled over an overgrown root, and I had helped her up, before we ran. Where was our twin brother? My mind didn't linger on him too much, though. Soon, we found our way through the forest we had been running in, and-_

"Chiaki! Wake up!" Chizuru called as she had now changed into her new outfit. It was a pink top with white pants. Girls weren't supposed to wear pants. Well, it was un-lady-like for girls to wear pants, but since we didn't want to get molested during our trip to Kyoto, we decided to dress as boys.

I sat up in my futon. I quickly opted into getting dressed. Just like my older twin sister, Chizuru, I wore a top with pants. Only, mine wasn't pink and white. Mine was light blue, and my pants were also white.

Once dressed, I put my katana, matching Chizuru's Kodachi, in position. Unlike her, I knew how to use mine. And I was a lot more skilled than her. I could be able to protect the two of us. Chizuru, however, wasn't as good.

I pulled my hair us into a ponytail, letting my dark brown- almost black- colored bangs lay on my forehead. As soon as I stepped outside, we greeted our neighbor, who conversed with Chizuru for a bit, before we finally set off.

Father, here we come!


	2. Chapter 2

2

 **(Note: This is a work of Fiction, but some elements draw inspiration from certain historical events and figures. I do not own Hakuouki. Only my Character: Chiaki. Also, the story is on my shared Quotev and** **Wattpad account** **.)**

 **December 1863**

"So this is Kyoto..." Chizuru mumbled as we had finally made it to the city.

Both my sister and I had to stand and stare for a couple moments. It was awfully impressive, there was no denying it. Even the simple hellos between people passing in the street seemed warm and friendly. They nodded and smiled to one another almost as if they were family, not strangers about on errands. Still...

There was something else as well. Something that made the city feel strangely cold. Almost as though there was a great invisible wall, shutting out anyone who wandered in from the country.

"Um..." Chizuru started. It wasn't particularly comfortable, I had to admit. I sighed. "No, no, that's all in my head." Chizuru said to herself. It seemed she was thinking the same as me.

We had walked quite some distance to reach Kyoto, and it occurred to me that my mind and body, as well as Chizuru's, were both very tired. Even so, tiredness was no reason for us to stand about feeling sorry for ourselves. We couldn't afford to, after all.

"Um, excuse me!" Chizuru tried to talk to some passerby, while I stood a bit behind her. "I'm sorry, but we seem to be a bit lost, could you..?"

 **. . .**

"What am I supposed to do now?" Chizuru asked me. We were lost, again, but in a different sort of way. We both sighed, and found ourselves looking up at the sky. It was darkening; going from a light pink traveling down to orange, and then transitioning to yellow, the more you looked from up to down.

The sun was beginning to set. The people we'd spoken to hadn't been unkind, and they'd given us the directions we needed, but... "Couldn't he have chosen a better time to leave the city?" Chizuru asked me, facing me as I continued to stare up at the sky. Apart from our father, and each other, there was only one other person in the city who we cold rely on: Dr. Mastumoto.

Dr. Matsumoto was a doctor in service to the shogunate. We had never met him ourselves, but our father put a great deal of trust in the man. Father had always told us that if we should run into any trouble during his absence, we were to contact Dr. Matsumoto. Unfortunately...

Dr. Matsumoto was apparently out of town on business, and would not return for some time. "Were we too hasty? Perhaps we should have waited..." Chizuru mumbled to herself.

True, it is rather rude to visit unannounced, which is was why Chizuru had me send a letter ahead of time. Of course, if he'd been gone for very long, then he almost certainly not read our letter. Perhaps, Chizuru thought we should have waited for a reply before traveling alone to a city we'd never even seen before.

But... No. I knew we could not have waited any longer.

 _~Flashback~_

 _"Chizuru, Chiaki." Father said._

 _"Is there something wrong, Father?" Chizuru asked._

 _He paused for a moment, and looked at us. "I... It seems I must go to the city of Kyoto for a time." Kodo, our father, informed us._

 _"Work again?" I asked bluntly, staring up at him blankly. His grimace never left, but his eyes shone his gentle and softness as always. He had been leaving the house often then, sometimes for days at a time._

 _"How long will you be gone?" Chizuru asked, breaking the small moment of silence, concern and worry in her voice and body language._

 _Kodo crossed his arms over his chest and faced us a bit more, "...I'm afraid I can't say. A month, perhaps. Maybe two."_

 _A simple "oh," left our lips. There was no hiding the disappointment. Nonetheless, we were children anymore. We couldn't beg him not to go, or some other foolishness. Yes, we'd be lonely, but... we were much more worried about him and his safety. Plus, we had each other._

 _"Please, Father, be careful." Chizuru told him. "They say the city of Kyoto is dangerous."_

 _He only smiled and nodded at us. "You needn't fret. I will be sure to send you letters as often as I am able to, so that you will have no need to worry."_

 _"Okay... You promise?" Chizuru asked, while I smiled at her_

 _..._

 _Father kept his promise. A new letter arrived everyday, and we scarcely had the time to respond before another would arrive. He told us that he worried about it, home alone all by ourselves. Then the letters stopped. A whole month passed, with no word from Father, and we began to worry._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"Father..." Chizuru sighed, bringing me back to reality.

They say Kyoto is full of ronin. It is not a safe place. Usually, a samurai is paid by the house of their master, but. ronin with no house or master to report to often rob people in order to make ends meet. They're nothing more than violent criminals who hide behind the image of a samurai. As you can see, no one thought greatly of ronin.

Such is the state of the city of Kyoto: The City of Ronin.

"Hmm..." I heard Chizuru start to think aloud. "First, I guess we have to find a place to stay." Lost in thought before, we had not noticed how dark it had gotten. How late was it by now? Honestly, I had no idea how long it would take to find our father.

We had taken some money with us, but it wasn't much. It was only enough to last us a month, we hoped at least, if we used it wisely. If we could find Father in that time, so much the better. If not, hopefully Dr. Matsumoto would return before our funds ran out. Should we be unable to find either of them, then it seemed we would be forced to go back home.

Well at any rate, we should try to be as frugal as possible. And so, we quickened out pace as we set off down another street that was nearly empty. Fortunately for us, men's clothing was much more conductive to such a pace, than our usual kimono would have been.

I had pointed out to Chizuru before we made our journey to Kyoto that it was far too dangerous for a girl, let alone two, from the country to explore alone, and that it would be wise t dress like a man- or at least in our cases, a boy.

Our disguise, such as it was, had proven successful, and we'd made it all the way to Kyoto unmolested. So far, so good. I was quite happy and relieved that our disguises worked. Perhaps that success though, had gotten to Chizuru's head, and let her think that a girl dressed as a boy could explore Kyoto as she pleased.

But Kyoto is _not_ a safe place. _We should have remembered that._ Instead, Chizuru had convinced not only herself, but also me, that whatever dangers Kyoto hid, didn't apply to us. We were about to discover otherwise.

"Hey, Kid!" A man's voice called out to us, stopping us in our tracks.

"Eh?!" Chizuru exclaimed. She spun around, and as did I. In the street in front of us, were three men. Three Ronin. "Can we help you..?" Chizuru asked. I felt like slapping myself, but kept the urge to roll my eyes or sigh inside of me.

I slowly reached for my Katana and so did Chizuru with her Kodachi. Our matching blades in their sheath at our waist. "Pretty nice blades you two got there, kids." Jiro, some drunkard ronin spoke first.

They were far more interested in our swords, then in us. Oh, thank god, but wait! I am not giving them our swords! No way in hell! "Looks like a bit much for pups you these two, am I right?" Saburo, another drunkards asked his fellas.

"Give it here, okay? We'll use it to defend our country." Ichiro, the third one said, making a hand it over gesture. I couldn't contain it. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"But... this is.." Chizuru muttered, nervously glancing back at me. I gave her a hard look, shaking my head slightly, and she looked back at them. Our swords weren't just some matching blades we'd picked up: It had been passed down through our family, the Yukimura's, for generations. There was no way we could give it to some crummy set of ronin.

Unfortunately, we had a feeling they wouldn't understand, or take no for an answer.

Suddenly, Chizuru took my wrist and turned away from the ronin and ran, pulling me along with her. The Ronin shouted behind us as Chizuru ran, me trailing behind her, being pulled along with her. Why did this feel so familiar? I asked myself.

"Gosh, they sure don't give up easily, do they?" Chizuru asked me as she ran. I shrugged slightly, and said, "Our swords are worth money, they look nice. Any poor and crummy person would try to get it for money."

I felt like I had been pulled along with a running Chizuru for quite a while, but we could still hear the ronin behind us, cursing loudly. We ducked into an alley and flattened ourselves against a wall. After deciding they weren't too close, Chizuru crept father into the alley, pulling me once again, along with her, as she held me close to her.

She was panting lightly, and was trying to catch her breath to silence us as much as possible. She had one arm wrapped around me, squeezing me closer to her, while her other hand held her mouth, so she wouldn't make a sound.

Someone had left a couple sheets of wood leaning against one of the houses. It was the perfect spot to hide for us, since we were tiny and could fit in tight spaces. With luck, this will get us out of this mess.

"...Huh?" Chizuru's voice was barely audible, but I could still hear it, as she was clutching onto me close to her for dear life. The silence around us started creeping me out.

Something was wrong. I guess I'd expected to hear the ronin yelling to each other, looking for us, but nothing came. Seconds turned into minutes, and we heard nothing. We were about to sneak out to have a look, when-

"EEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!" A blood curling shout filled the air. It was one of the Ronin's voice. They all began to scream.

"Wh-What?!" Chizuru exclaimed in a hushed voice. Our plan to investigate was immediately halted. Remaining silent and hidden was clearly more important. Still, though...

"Damn you!" Another voice shouted.

"What is this?! Why wont you die?! Dammit! We gotta get out of here!" Another familiar voice of one of the ronin who was chasing us exclaimed. It was then that true fear began to set in. There was something out there, something very, very dangerous. Something quite possibly lethal.

I could feel Chizuru trembling, her body shook in fear, as my imagination began to wander. I had to stop this. I will drive myself insane. Plus I had to be strong for Chizuru right now.

Even so, I could feel that itch of curiosity. I wanted to know what was out there. The sound of swords clanging together brought me back, again. Slowly, carefully, Chizuru let go of me, as I edged up to the corner and looked out.

Cold moonlight glared back at me from the bare blade of a drawn sword. My eyes followed the blade up, to the arm that held it, clad in a coat of white and light blue, splattered with blood. ...Had this person saved us?

But no sooner had it appeared, that hope was dashed. The person in front of me laughed devilishly, giggled insanely. One of the ronin tried calling for help, only to be silenced as a blade of a sword came swooshing down and death overcoming him. The splatter of blood, and the screams of the ronin sounding in my ears.

The high, screeching laugh of this insane swordsman could be heard beyond my fuzzed, ringing ears, cutting through the man's scream. The blade fell through the air, more like a butcher's cleaver than a sword: no technique, no skill. Just death.

My eyes went wide. I had just watched a murder. I turned to see the same horror shocked expression on Chizuru's face. Whatever strength adrenaline had given Chizuru was suddenly gone down the drain. Her legs gave away, and she crumpled to the ground, bringing me down with her.

Our eyes went so wide, we thought they would never close. The ronin had died with the first blow, but as I watched the blades keep falling, caring deep lines into the corpse, I could feel my conscious loose itself.

With one last look at the sky, I heard the insane swordsmen stop and close in on us, before the slashing of swords could be heard, and more fading voices started to talk, before I fell into darkness.

 **A/N: Okay, so I am using the game on an IPhone where you can download it from the app store, so don't hate. This is also the reason I was able to "write" so much. Enjoy! I will be using the game for this entire series.**


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

 **December** **1863**

I woke to the sound of birds chirping. The sunlight from the window filtering into the room. I woke up a little after Chizuru, to find that both of us were bound by rope. It kind of hurt. Damn, this was tied tight!

"If only this were all a very strange nightmare." Chizuru sighed softly to herself. It wasn't though.

I nodded along with her. It was true. I wished the same thing, but I also felt a little bit of excitement. This meant that someone had saved us, if we weren't dead. Us being bound by ropes, was a good giveaway that we weren't dead in heaven or something like that.

"Where are we, Chizuru?" I asked her.

"The headquarters of the Shinsengumi..." She replied, turning towards me a bit, as we lay on our stomachs on the very uncomfortable futons. "Oh..." Was all I could say.

"What will happen to us now?" Chizuru asked me. I shrugged the best I could at the moment, since I was kind of tied up. I sighed, and said, "I guess the best thing to do right now is to wait."

As soon as the words let my moth though, the door slid open, and a kind-looking man stepped through. "Ah, I see you've both woken up." With a soft smile, he introduced himself as Inoue. Genzaburo Inoue. "I'm sorry we have to treat the two of you this way... Hold on a moment. I'll loosen the ropes, all right?" He knelt down and untied us. But he left our hands still bound.

"Thank you..." We said together. Chizuru bowed and he let out a short laugh.

"Now, if the two of you will follow me..." he said, before we followed him out of the room and into the hall. We then went to what seemed to be some kind of common room. On the way, he explained who was who to us, and what they were all like. "They've been discussing what to do with the two of you since morning. For now, they've decided to hear what exactly it was you saw last night."

"...Okay." Chizuru mumbled. I nodded, and soon, the door to the common room slid open and we entered the common room, filled with the leaders of the Shinsengumi. Their eyes dug into us like so many knives. Chizuru froze, just past the threshold, while I silently went and sat in the middle, since that was where I figured we were to sit at.

Once Chizuru had herself seated next to me, the interrogation started, well sort of. "Good morning! I hope you slept well?" A guy with brown hair, green eyes, and a playful smirk gracing his lips said.

"Oh...um..." It seemed this man looked a bit familiar to Chizuru. He might be one of the men who saved us. I shrugged silently, looking somewhere else. He started to tease Chizuru making her blush, but a guy with a scarf on and a calm and emotionless face stopped him.

"Shut it. You sound like a bunch of kids." A guy with black hair and purple eyes said, everyone quieted. Okita, the guy with that smirk on his face, merely shrugged and was silent, but the smile stayed in his eyes.

"So Hijikata-san... These are your witnesses?" Another young man asked, to me, he looked about the same age as us. He had long brown hair pulled into a longer pony tail than Chizuru and mine combined, and he had teal eyes.

I'd imagined the leaders of the Shinsengumi to be old, or at least middle-aged-men, but they all looked quite young. In fact, they looked rather like a group of young thugs, then a dangerous organization.

"They're a real stick, huh? Just kids..." the same teal eyes young man said. His name was Heisuke. Toudou Heisuke. The descriptions Inoue had given us were quite precise.

"You're calling him a kid, Heisuke? That's rich." The man with reddish colored hair and amber eyes commented with a small laugh. He chuckled as he spoke, but the way he looked at us suggested that there was little he missed, despite his humor.

"Right you are. To anybody else, I'll bet the three of you just look like another pair of scrawny little brats." The man with shorter brown hair, blue eyes, and a green bandana on his forehead added.

The man across from him with reddish hair nodded with his brows drawn, as if he was quite serious about the subject. However, I remembered Inoue telling us that the two men in particular were... somewhat immature- to put it nicely. He had said the one with short hair was Nagakura Shinpachi, and the one with longer hair was Harada Sanosuke.

"Leave off, you grumpy old bastards." Toudou shot back.

"The hell I will boy!" Nagakura retaliated. "You think you can get away with talking to us like that?!"

"Besides, I'm hardly mature enough to be called 'old.' Shinpachi maybe... but not me." Harada added.

"You son of a bitch... I thought we were friends!" Nagakura said.

""Ha ha ha ha! C'mon Shinpachi-san! Would an adult get so worked up over something like that?" Touou laughed. I swore, these guys were pretty funny. If it wasn't for my control of emotions and the fact I was too frightened to laugh at them, I would have burst out laughing aloud.

Their back-and-forth had the feel of a routine that long predated our arrival, but they couldn't quite hide the odd inquisitive glance in our direction. I could sense something other than simple curiosity, though- a feeling of animosity, or resentment, perhaps. Despite their cheerful levity, they had not forgiven Chizuru's and my presence among them.

Suddenly, I wanted very much to go home. I wanted to leave that place, and never return. My chest tightened, and I looked down at the floor, hoping that I might just wake up at home in my bed. But sadly, this wasn't a dream. This was all real.

"I apologize for all of this frightening behavior. Please don't give them the pleasure of unsettling you two." A man with glasses said, smiling kindly at us. His voice was calm and warm, and I felt Chizuru relax against me, as she had leaned into me as we sat, even if only a little.

"Are you serious?" Hijikata crossed his arms over his chest. "You're the scariest out of us all, Sanan-san." Really? Wow, I guess first impressions aren't always right...

There was the faintest trace of a smirk on Hijikata's lips, but I was still able to notice it. As he finished speaking, the rest of the men in the room nodded solemnly in agreement. I found it hard to believe this man could be as scary as they all seemed to think, but then again, what did I know?

"Oh? How crude. I can understand their feelings, but that even our demon of a commander should think so..." The man called Sanan smiled as he spoke and leaned back, his repose delivered.

"You're lucky to have a friend like Sanan, Toshi." Another man said with a smile.

Hijikata and Sanan had sounded so cold when they'd spoken to one another, not what I would have called "friendly," but whatever. Still, the man that had just spoken had certainly sounded as though he thought they were friends.

"Oh, My apologies. I haven't introduced myself. I am Isami Kondo, Chief of the Shinsengumi." I merely nodded, still looking down a bit. Chizuru clutched my arm as she sat next to me. How was she the elder one?

"Toshi over there is the commander, and Sanan is our colonel." Kondo-san explained. Is he stupid? I thought, he does know that it isn't smart to tell this type of information to just anybody, right?

"Ah... Kondo? Why are you telling these two all this?" Hijikata asked with a face that wanted to face palm. Right now.

"Uh... Why, do you think it's a bad idea?" Kondo asked uncertainly. Okay, wait a moment. How is HE the leader of the Shinsengumi?! He seemed to me like an airhead pushover with a kind heart.

"Well, unless you really think this kid needs to know all our secrets, maybe you should keep your mouth shut." Nagakura said, his arms crossed, a cold and annoyed look on his face.

"Exactly! Why bother anyway? We don't owe these two anything." Toudou added.

Harada glanced over at Kondou and let out a bark of laughter. "True, but it's not like telling 'im will hurt us." Kondou had looked rather disappointed when Hijikata spoke, but he perked up at Harada's words.

I'd scarcely known him for five minutes, but already I could see that he was well-liked by his men. He had that sort of charisma that simply drew you in. A man who was impossible to hate. "...Well, let's get back to the business at hand. Can one of you run through what happened last night?"

Kondo's glance moved to Saito, the guy in the scarf, who gave a small nod and began to speak. "Last night, we were on patrol when we encountered some wandering ronin. They drew steel, so we fought. Some of our men subdued the ronin, but in doing so exposed their failure."

As he finished, Saito turned to look at me. Chizuru swallowed and forced her mouth to open, to which she just blurted things out. "I didn't see anything!"

Hijikata softened a little at her response, but Saito remained expressionless and the smile on Okita's face didn't change. "Huh. You sure you didn't see anything?" Toudou asked us.

"Yes, I didn't see anything." Chizuru defended. I merely stayed silent, sighing a bit under my breath as I looked towards the floor. My hands still and unmoving in my lap.

"Really... Well if that's true, then I don't see what the problem is." He seemed to believe Chizuru. I'm glad, but I knew that we did see stuff. Well, Chizuru saw things. I barely saw anything, I just heard it all. At least, until I fainted.

"Hold on a minute. I thought Souji said you helped out some of our men or something..." Nagakura commented.

"No, that's not true!" Chizuru exclaimed. I sighed at her loudness. I gave her a look that told her to quiet down and she nodded slightly, giving me an apologetic smile. I glanced over at Okita, but his smile hadn't changed. Whatever he was thinking was a mystery to me. "We were running away from the ronin... And then some people with Shinsengumi uniforms showed up... Really, I thought they sort of rescued us."

"Then, that means you say them slicing up those ronin, right?" Nagakura asked.

"U-um... well..." Chizuru couldn't really deny that. I could though, I just didn't want to speak. I would let my sister deal with this. Cuz I knew either way, we'd die.

"So in other words, you actually saw everything. The whole ugly business." Harada said.

"Well, Yes, but Chiaki didn't. I was holding her and covering her eyes so she wouldn't have to get nightmares if we ever lived through that..." I pinched her. Why did she have to bring me into this? I don't care if she was protecting me, we would both die anyway, now it was just embarrassing.

"You've got an honest heart. That's not really a bad thing, but..." I wasn't quite sure what to make out of Harada's words. Our presence had not been a good thing for the Shinsengumi. Would their next words be the ones that condemned me to death for us being in the wrong place, at the wrong time?

Chizuru's voice shook, as she tried to keep us alive. "I... We won't tell anyone! We promise!"

"It seems unlikely this attack was mere chance. Then again, I have no reason to think you're an enemy either." Sanan said. "Even if you do not tell anyone, you could be captured; interrogated. I doubt the two of you could withstand torture."

Actually, I could. But, at the moment, what I said didn't really matter... so...

I heard Chizuru whimper. I sighed a bit. Sanan's voice was still warm but the words were cold, and I bet Chizuru felt her chances of us surviving slip away.

"It's easy enough to stay quiet, but it someone should try to... coerce you two, you've no reason to keep our secrets." Saito said. He was right, I guess.

"We don't have any kind of guarantee that you'll keep your words. It wouldn't be very smart to just let you go." Okita said to us. They did have a point, I thought, but... "Let's just kill the kid. You want to keep someone quiet, that's the only sure way." Okita said, which made Chizuru whimper. I merely sighed.

Chizuru looked desperately at Kondo, who was giving Okita a reproving look. "Don't be so cold, Souji. What do we gain by murdering civilians?"

Okita's smile disappeared, and he looked down at the floor. "Oh don't give me that look. I was just kidding." That didn't sound like a joke to me!

"Then perhaps it should have sounded like it." Saito told him blankly. What is up with this guy and death?! It's not something to joke about, is it?

Okita made an attempt at a derisive snort and looked away intently at a wall, his face slightly red. I did all I could to not start smirking at this scene. It was taking me all I had. I swear!

"But surely, there must be something we can do? After all, we're talking about a child, and two of them at that..." Inoue joined into the conversation, adding his opinion.

"I've no wish to kill them either, but we can't discount the chance that they could reveal information about us." Sanan said, he looked very torn about whether or not they should kill us. Sanan paused for a moment, his brows furrowed, then turned to Hijikata. "I would like to hear the commander's opinion."

"With the responsibility of his position invoked, Hijikata had no choice. He sighed, and glanced around the room. "Last night, we had to kill some men who broke the code. These two were in the wrong place in the wrong time."

"And I imagine you mean to say, that's all there is to it?" Sanan asked.

"Well, that one," He gestured to Chizuru, "he probably saw something, but I doubt he really understands what it was."

"Even so, this is serious. We have bigger things to think about. We have to keep this under wraps." Nagakura started with sigh, "If rumors get out that the soldiers of the Shinsengumi are thirsty for blood that would be very problematic." Bloodthirsty? I don't think I would have said that, unless...

"I think Souji has a point... Still, I'll do whatever Hijikata and Kondo tell me to." Harada added.

"I think we oughta let 'em go." Toudou Heisuke said. He looked troubled. "It's not like he knows why they went nuts, ya know?" Wait... What did he mean by that?

Chizuru glanced at me, and I glanced back at her. I gave her a shrug, I shouldn't question it. It won't help our situation, at all. I knew that for sure. Hijikata though, saw Chizuru's eyes go wide as they glanced at me and her. His eyes narrowed and they flicked over to Toudou.

"Tck! Heisuke, shut it." No sooner were the words out of Hijikata's mouth than Toudou clapped both hands over his own. (Mouth)

"Uh oh. Well, this is going to make is even harder for us to let you two go." Okita said, with his grin. He really wants us to die, doesn't he?! What's his problem? What did we ever do to him? Wait, what happened after I passed out?! Did Chizuru do something?! Did I do something?! Oh god. Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god!

Chizuru whimpered again, and I could feel her shrink a bit more, her slouching getting worse. I sighed, and gave her a pitied look. "A man should always be ready to face death. You should make your peace with yours." Nagakura said. Easier said than done.

Wait- A man..? ... "Oh!" Chizuru exclaimed a bit.

They still thought we were boys, of course they did. I mean look at us. With these clothes, and our identical baby faces. It wasn't too hard to tell we were girls, but if we were dressed like this, and the way we have been acting, it's pretty obvious they thought I was the older more mature and quiet brother, while Chizuru was the more immature, and easily scared younger brother. Who so happen to be twins...

"Very true. A brace death is always an option. When I was young, I committed honorable suicide. (Seppuku)" Harada said proudly. Oh, well that is nice- Wait! If he did that, then how is he still alive?! And how old did he mean by "young?"

"... Although, it didn't really stick, did it Sano?" Nagakura asked with a grin as he crossed his arms. Their jokes were barbaric. SAVAGE. But they both broke into raucous laughter at them.

(A/N: Sorry, I had to put the savage part... hehe)

Saito did his best to ignore them. "Hijikata-san... Since we can't seem to reach a consensus, can I send the children back to their room?" As he spoke, Saito turned to look at us. "If you hear something you shouldn't while you're here, then we'll have no choice but to kill you."

"Ah!" I sighed at Chizuru's exclamation. He was right. If we remained with them, then I could easily hear something I wasn't supposed to. I didn't think he'd mentioned it for my sake- only as a possible concern for the Shinsengumi- but I was still glad he'd brought it up.

"True. Can you take care of them?" Hijikata asked. Saito nodded.

"I agree. There are too many careless men here." Sanan said, looking around the room.

"C'mon Sanan... What're you looking at me for?" Nagakura asked.

"That oughta be pretty obvious. We're in charge of being careless. Especially you, Heisuke." Harada chimed in.

"H-Hey! Back off! It was just a mistake, all right?" Toudou exclaimed. I could hear Toudou's voice rise as everyone turned to look at him. He looked at them for a bit, but then turned to me and mumbled in a voice I could barely hear. "I... I'm sorry."

"Um..." Chizuru had been a loss of words for a while. I thought, had not spoken a word since we got here. I was perfectly calm. I didn't want to die, but just like what Harada said, if we had to, I would become at peace with the decision.

I gave Toudou a small smile. While Chizuru could only awkwardly nod, I gave him a small smile. I couldn't say anything, because I believed my voice would give away that I was still a little scared, but I smiled a bit. That's what counts.

"Shall we go?" Saito asked us. We nodded and got up. And soon, we were led back to our room.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

After they had taken us back to our room, I sat there for a time, looking down at my bound hands. Chizuru was currently sulking a bit in her corner. "Hmm..."

I know we hadn't told them we were girls, and we also hadn't told them that we weren't even from Kyoto, but from Edo. Maybe that could persuade them a little more to let us live. "Why don't we just try to escape?" Chizuru whispered to me.

I looked at her if she was crazy. "That won't help, Chizuru." In the end, I decided to just explain. I would tell them the truth. Perhaps if we did, they'd understand our predicament.

The rest, perhaps, could wait, but I felt that it might be wise to tell them was a girl. I took a deep breath, getting myself ready for the loudness I was going to cause, before I shouted as loud as I could! "UM EXCUSE ME! Is anyone there?!"

... Wait for it... Wait for it...

After a few moments, the door slid open... And several faces appeared around the edges. "Well, you've got some balls, I'll give you that. We've got you locked up, but that doesn't stop you yelling for us." Nagakura says. He looked a little... impressed. "Alright, you called for us. Here we are. Have you made up your mind about dying?"

Well, he was right. I had called them over. Chizuru sat behind me and played with my hair in its ponytail a bit, as it was a bit longer than hers, and she had nothing else to do. I took a deep breath and spoke. "I want you to hear me out."

Unlike Chizuru, who begged, I wanted things to be properly discussed. They hear me out, I hear them out, we discuss, and then the final decision is drawn. I was after all, a lot more mature than Chizuru.

"It is unlikely that we can sympathize with your current situation. So long as you understand that... Say what you wish." I heard Chizuru whimper at Saito's words. Me? I was unfazed. I knew he was going to say that. Although, his cold words were harsh, and it didn't help that his face and voice was completely unemotional. That blew a few to my confidence level.

"I sympathize with your awful luck. May the two of you rest in peace..." Harada said.

"Hey, a man should know when to accept his ate." Toudou said.

... They all spoke as if they'd already consigned us to death. It was time to make my choice. I decided to tell them I wasn't boy. And really, the fact that they couldn't even tell I was a girl pissed me off a bit!

As Saito turned to go, I round on Toudou to glare at him furiously. My temper wasn't something you wanted to mess with. Chizuru would know, growing up with me, after all. Toudou seemed a little taken aback.

"H-Hey... What's up with you?" Toudou asked. Chizuru cowered behind me. This did not go unnoticed by the others in the room. Me? I paid no mind to her.

"Earlier, you said, 'a man should know when to accept his fate.' You don't think there's anything wrong with killing a man before hearing him out?" I asked coldly.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at me as though I'd suddenly become more interesting to him. "You oughta watch your mouth. Don't you get what's going on here?" He asked. "Maybe you should start acting like a man, all right? Both of you. Just accept your fate. We've gotta do what we've gotta do."

"But I'm not a man." I said lowly. "Both me and Chizuru aren't men."

Their eyes widened a bit. Then, Heisuke's eyes narrowed for a bit, processing the information I just gave him, before they went wide again. "Yeah, right. What, you're gonna try and tell me you're girls?" Toudou asked incredulously, but there was still uncertainty in his eyes.

I glared at him with more intensity. How dare he doubt me! "Yes." Chizuru piped up and answered for me, seeing how I was death glaring at the boy in front of us.

Toudou and Nagakura's eyes went so wide, I almost worried for a bit they might fall out of their sockets. But then I remembered how stupid that would be, and that was what Chizuru was probably thinking. So I shook it off and just continued to glare them down as if they would explode or get set on fire if I glared at them like this long enough.

Their mouths worked wordlessly, like a pair of fish trying desperately to breathe air. Well, I can't say I'm surprised. There's something a bit lady-like about your profiles." Harada says with a grin. I smile a bit at his comment, but then frown at the two idiots in front of us.

"How the hell were we supposed to know that?! G-Girls aren't supposed to wear pants!" Nagakura exclaims. Nagakura's distress didn't seem to have much effect on Saito, who regarded him with cool amusement. Perhaps he'd known the truth all along.

"Perhaps you do have a point. We ought to at least hear you out." Saito said.

 **Oh, so now he wants to hear us out, huh? Geez...**

. . .

There we were, surrounded once again by the leader of the Shinsengumi. Only, it wasn't as scary or frightening as it was before. And Chizuru wasn't clinging onto me this time. This time, she had a little bit more hope that we'd survive another day.

"I did think you two were rather pretty, but to think you were in fact ladies all this time..." Kondo said, nodding his head solemnly, over and over, as if he were agreeing with a very intelligent suggestion.

"Once you know they're girls, they don't look like boys at all, do they?" Toudou commented. Something about that seemed to impress Toudou. Though, it felt uncomfortable, he was looking at me, and he has been ever since he found out I was a girl.

"Then we bound two girls and left her for an entire night...? Oh dear." Inoue said, distressed a bit. Each other them took the news differently.

(A/N: Girls were treated very differently than boys back in the day, if you didn't know that.)

"Well, 'she' claims to be a girl, and 'her' 'sister' says so, too, but it's not like we have any actual proof, right?" Nagakura asks.

"P-Proof?!" Chizuru exclaims, with a blushing face.

Harada laughed. Nagakura grumbled to himself under his breath, so I couldn't hear a thing. "Proof? Really? Not obvious enough for ya, huh?" Harada started. "All right, will you feel better if I strip them down?" Harada grinned playfully, obviously teasing.

However, not everyone knew it was a joke, and even still... the ones who still knew it as a joke, couldn't myself themselves but blush from the bold statement. Hey, Toudou looked kinda cute when he blushes... Wait what?! THE HELL?

I blushed, and Chizuru hid behind me while I glared daggers at Harada. "Please, don't-" Chizuru squeaked out, but was cut off by an outraged Kondo.

"No! You absolutely will not! Even suggesting such a thing is preposterous!" Kondo shot up before Chizuru had even finished, his face bright red, but Harada's words hadn't had any malice behind them.

I just figured it was the quickest way to settle the question..." Harada replied with his brows furrowed and his grin wiped off, instantly. He shrugged and settled back into his seat.

Nagakura had crossed his arms, his brows were knit. "Well... If you really are girls, then... Killing just feels kinda...wrong." I could feel Chizuru perk up the slightest bit more.

"It doesn't matter. If we have to kill them, then they die." Hijikata said, cold as ever. I sighed under my breath a bit. Chizuru slouched a bit more, her hope fading by each word. Hijikata's words left no room for argument.

"Gender is irrelevant. Killing in general is wrong." Sanan said. I don't know how to respond to that. I mean, has he seen the way girls are treated? Seriously, we get taken advantage of way too many times. And we aren't even able to do a lot of things, and we always have to act a certain way. "We were organized to protect the public good in the city of Kyoto. We would ill serve the public good by murdering civilians in cold blood." Sanan said again.

"Yeah, yeah. But id this girl, or boy, is a threat to the peace, that's a horse of a different color." Okita said, his arms crossed and his usual smirk placed onto his lips. He really wants death to win, doesn't he?

The Shinsengumi didn't enjoy a shining reputation already. If rumors began to spread that their men were thirsty for blood, things weren't likely to go well for them. They wouldn't be able to operate in Kyoto, and with no one to protect the people, the city would eventually fall in chaos.

I could see in their eyes that each one of them knew full well the consequences rash action could have. "Well then, we need only determine if you are a threat. Will you tell us your side of the story?" Kondo asked us. I looked at Chizuru, and she was in no condition to explain things. So I sighed, and nodded.

I could feel their eyes on me. The room went silent.

"My name is Yukimura Chiaki, and this is Chizuru, my older twin sister..." They all seemed surprised I was the younger one, but they let me explain.

I told them everything. How we lived in Edo. How we'd come to Kyoto to find our father... "Oh, then you're from do as well?" Wait as well? What does that mean? "And you came all the way to find your father?!" Kondo said. I could see the emotion welling up in his eyes. It made me uncomfortable. I hated getting pity from others, but I guess this was the only way. "What business did he have in Kyoto?"

"Father in a doctor. His name is Yukimura Kodo, and he specializes in western medicine-" Chizuru was now cut off when Hijikata said, "What?!"

"Hm?" Chizuru looked confused, and so was I.

The moment Father's name was out of Chizuru's lips, the atmosphere in the room changed. "Oh my... so the good doctor Kodo has a daughter?" Sanan said to himself.

"You know our father?" Chizu asked. I wasn't so sure what the sudden silence meant, only that the revelation of our parentage had caused a pronounced change in their behavior.

It was Saito who finally broke the silence. "The Shinsengumi is currently attempting to determine the whereabouts of Dr. Kodo Yukimura."

"You're after my father, why?!" Chizuru exclaimed, worried.

"Oh, no. You've got us all wrong. We're not, uh, after him." Okita said.

"Oh... I see..." Chizuru calmed down after that. I pat her on the back a bit, and gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back after me.

They continued to explain, and we paid very close attention to the details. It was so... so surreal. How could Father keep this all from us? I mean, yeah, I know we're different. Literally, with that weird healing ability, but so what, he kept this away from us, too?

In the end, we were allowed to live. Since we cold be able to immediately identify him, if we were out looking for him with the Shinsengumi, it would be at least a little bit easier for them. I'd never imagined something like this to happen!

Honestly, I thought they would have killed us.

I really did.

But for some reason, I had a feeling they weren't actually going to let us out and roam the city for a while. Especially not alone. They don't trust us enough.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

A/N: Okay, sorry if it is undesirably short. I hope ya enjoy! I love writing for this story! I love Hakuouki, if you hadn't noticed. Hehe!

We never imagined something like this! Not only had we survived, but we'd found our first decent Lead! I could tell how happy and excited Chizuru was, I was too. I smiled at my older twin sister. I am so glad, I could jump up and down with joy right now, but in the end, I chose to stay silent and calm. It was the best to do that, for now.

"You must be pretty glad we won't be killing you, huh? ...Well, won't be killing you just now, at any rate." Okita said, making me glare at him. What is with this guy?! He gave us the same wolfish grin.

There was no denying that our situation was still less than desirable, but at the moment, I didn't care. And I could tell Chizuru felt the same as me. "Yes, I'm very glad." Chizuru answered with a smile.

We'd been through a lot, but at least we'd found help, and where we'd never have expected it: the Shinsengumi. Kyoto hadn't been very kind to us, even though we'd been there less than a day, but it looked as though our fortunes were taking a turn for the better.

We still had a long way to go, and I had worries aplenty, but it was important to stay optimistic. Especially for Chizuru. I needed to stay strong for my twin.

"I'd prefer to place you two in the custody of the Judiciary Commissioner or the Aizu rather than keep you in a house full of men, but..." Kondo let the sentence hang in the air, and looked at us, his arms folded.

It was clear we had no choice but to stay with the Shinsengumi. "Should either of you require anything, you need only ask. We will do what we can to accommodate you." Saito said.

"Oh..." Chizuru said. I smiled a bit, and nodded. "Thank you." His expression didn't change, but his words were expectantly warm. Chizuru looked away from him awkwardly, but I still saw the heat rise to her cheeks as a small pink blush formed.

"W-Well, I guess we'll have to be nicer to you two now that we know you're girls." Nagakura stuttered.

"You're always nice to the ladies, Shinpachi-san. Sure didn't take you long for you to change your tone once you figured out they were girls though, huh?" Heisuke said, with a grin on his face.

"Ah, whatever. Having a lady or two here at headquarters is sure gonna brighten things up, won't it?" Harada commented. He was right, I didn't have too good of a feeling about this. I wasn't entirely sure that be the outcome, though.

"Still, we can hardly treat them as one of our soldiers. Something else must be done with them." Sanan said with a concerned toned. He was right, with Chizuru's lack of ability to defend herself, and me being a girl, who was most likely a lot weaker than an average boy, it wouldn't be safe for us.

"Then, make her a page or something. You want an assistant, Kondo? How about you, Sanan? And Heisuke, I think you need someone to keep you in check, don't you?" Hijikata said. Toudou got a little red, and I could have sworn I saw Okita smirk as something went off in his mind.

Hijikata gave a small shrug. Whatever was done with us, it seemed he no longer cared. Though, I could tell from his words, that when he talked about getting Toudou someone to keep him in check, that he was talking about me, since I was more controlled and calmer than Chizuru. He probably thought I could control the boy. Hah, as if...

"Oh, come on now, Hijikata-san. It's your idea, you can't just pawn them off on someone else." Okita said, with his clever smirk gracing his lips, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Ah, excellent! I believe we can trust Toshi with them, though, I do agree with Toshi when he says Toudou-kun needs someone to keep him out of trouble." Kondo said with a big smile while slapping his leg in agreement.

"Well, there you have it, Hijikata-kun Toudou-kun. I hope you two take good care of them." Sanan said, his smile and tone had more than a little of a mocking twist to it. I gave Toudou a small apologetic smile, and he looked a little more than a little uneasy and nervous.

Oh boy. "...You sons of bitches." Hijikata replied. I felt like laughing, but I knew it would not be wise to laugh at Hijikata and his new arrangement of having to babysit my sister. Although, it was funny.

"Um..." I watched as Chizuru watched their back-and-forth. I could feel some of her relief from earlier begin to ebb away. What was going to happen to us?


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

A/N: I hope you enjoy~!

 **January 1864**

I slid the door open, and a breath of cool morning air met me. Clumps of thick clouds trundled silently over the city, an unusually strong wind driving them along. "It's cold today..." Chizuru commented beside me.

"...Yeah..." I nodded. I shivered a bit, and grabbed a jacket from near the door to wrap around myself, Chizuru copying my actions.

A week had passed since we'd begun living in the headquarters of the Shinsengumi. They allowed us to roam around the compound as we please, and we were given a room of our own, as we shared it. They weren't the best accommodations, but given that they'd very nearly murdered us instead, we thought it best not to complain.

"Still..." Chizuru mumbled, probably thinking the same as me. She looked down at her feet on the cold floor and sighed. "Do we really need to dress like his all the time?" Unlike my sister, I didn't really mind dressing at a boy. To me, it was a lot more comfortable than having to act lady-like.

They'd given us a place to live, for the time being, but it hadn't been without conditions. They agreed to look after us, but they couldn't have to women running around in their headquarters. It seemed reasonable. If rumors were to spread that the Shinsengumi were keeping a woman, let alone two, in their compound, tongues would begin to wag. It might even bring the people who were after our father to the Shinsengumi in search of us.

Of course, they hadn't been able to determine whether or not he'd even been attacked. There were a great many questions left unanswered. We could ill-afford any reckless decisions. Or so Hijikata had informed us.

In other words, we have to keep pretending to be of the male gender. It wasn't exactly what we wanted, but it's something we had to do. I didn't really mind, but I mean, sometimes I kind of missed my old clothes. They were so pretty...

I knew they were right though, the presence of a woman could um... how would you say in lesser terms... uh... it could... disrupt morale... you could say. And I doubt that some of the soldiers of lower rank were as nice, polite, or gentlemanly as the captains in the Shinsengumi.

We had asked what to do, but Hijikata said were to just stay in our room and that was it. After though, Okita had asked about the topic that Chizuru had become a page and me someone to keep a certain someone in line. And then, Hijikata threatened to his tongue off if he didn't shut his mouth. It was a little frightening. I would admit it.

"I guess we don't have much of a choice..." Chizuru's sigh brought me out of my thoughts. "I'd prefer otherwise, of course, but I'll do what I have to."

We weren't sure what to make of it yet, but since we'd been dressing like a boy, we'd grown rather used to the feel of wearing pants, and of having our swords (for Chizuru her kodachi and for me my katana) Father had given us always at our hips. I actually liked it a lot better, it made me feel safer.

He'd presented us with our swords when we were only little children, and impressed upon us at least some sense of its importance. Supposedly, our swords had been in the Yukimura family for generations. As such, we were forced to take lessons in swordplay, so I knew which end was meant for the enemy, and I knew how to defend myself, but Chizuru... well, she wasn't very good.

Really, because of that weird healing ability we have that no one else does that our father told us not to let anyone find out about, Chizuru was too scared to get hurt. Plus, Chizuru was never one who cared much for weapons, or violence in general.

Chizuru was too scared that if people found out about our "gift from the gods" as father called it, they would treat us as monsters. So, we never told anyone about our little secret. Ever since then, Chizuru did her best to make sure none of us would get hurt. She stayed as far away from blades as she could, and before she realized it she was afraid of them.

I, on the other hand, kept practicing with my sword, until I was decent enough to be able to protect me and her, against at least a grown man. My skills weren't anything to brag about, But I wasn't completely useless in self-defense like Chizuru.

"Still..." Chizuru mumbled to herself. She talked to herself a lot. I had gotten used to it but one day, I swear it would get her into trouble. Anyway, the rank-and-file soldiers had been treating us coldly. "I'm not just imagining it, right, Chiaki?" Chizu asked me.

I nodded. "I've seen and noticed it, too. Though, I can see why." I shrugged, she gave me a look asking me to explain. I sighed and continued, "I heard having a private room was a rare privilege, even for the captains. For children like us to appear out of nowhere and be given better treatment than their own captains... It's no wonder the soldiers resented us, Chizuru." I shrugged. She seemed surprised.

"I never knew that..." I laughed a bit.

"You can be quite the oblivious airhead, can't you?" I asked her.

"Well, I guess you're right about your other statement. I can't really blame them." She replied, ignoring my last playful insult I had thrown at her. She smiled at me and I did to her. I know she felt bad.

I did a little bit, too. I mean, we were enjoying the hospitality, such as it was, of the Shinsengumi, and so we felt as should help them in some way, but we knew nothing of soldiers and their ways. I honestly think it was better off we stay away from them and out of their way.

We had mainly stayed in our room most of the time. Really, I think Hijikata just didn't want us to be a bother, so he figured he wouldn't have to deal with us if we were in our room 24/7. It was getting really boring, actually.

Yes, we were sometimes given small errands to run, but most of the duties they gave us were things more suited for a maid, rather than a soldier. This made the rest of the men even more resentful, for what appeared to be special treatment.

"They're just... watching me." Chizuru muttered. To make sure we kept our mouth shut, they took turns keeping watch over us. Our mistakes could mean serious trouble for them, so they were doing their best to keep us away from the other soldiers.

Then again, perhaps they were just doing that for Chizuru, since she is a horrible actor. Their soldiers almost never spoke to us, but when they sis, it was difficult for Chizuru to act like a boy. All too often, the captains or I had to step in to cover for Chizuru. Each time we did, it make Chizuru look as though she couldn't even manage to speak for herself, and I know it made her feel even worse.

"If I'm really going to stay here, I'd like to be friends with at least some of them...But I can't exactly tell them the truth, can I?" Chizuru murmured to herself. I ignored her and walked outside, sitting down on the brown wooden floor that was raised up from the grown in the garden-like courtyards in front of us.

I could feel Chizuru feel more and more depressed by the hour. I ignored her and drowned her voice out of my mind as I stared at the sky. In the end, while Chizuru went to talk to someone, I searched the compound.

I stepped back into my room and outside through a different inner door, while Chizuru went the opposite way. I wandered around for a while, before I made it to the empty common room. I walked around more, and slowly, I looked around the corner.

Walking towards the door, looking as if they could really prefer not to be seen, were Harada and Nagakura. Hm? Why are they acting so suspicious? I walked closer and more in view, and it must have surprised them.

"What?!" Nagakura exclaimed, surprised.

"Can I come with you?" I asked them. I needed something to do. Chizuru's depressed attitude was starting to get to me. I needed away from that girl. As much as I loved her, living in the same room as her wasn't bad, but spending 24/7 with her, it was getting pretty old.

"Well, I don't really care, but... I don't think you're gonna have a lot of fun..." Harada said. I tilted my head to the side. Why?

"H-hey! No, you idiot, we can't take her! And you don't have authority to give her permission to leave anyway!" Nagakura scolds. That's right, only Hijikata could, since the whole thing with Toudou wasn't a good idea, he was in charge of both me and my sister. But he was gone in Osaka for a little while right now...

Nagakura poked Harada in the chest as he spoke, but there was something almost nervous in his manner. "Huh? Oh, right. We aren't supposed to let you out of the house, huh. They don't even let you out of your room without an escort?" Harada asked me.

"Well... um...Where are you going anyway?"

"No changing the subject. ...Ah well, whatever. We're on our way to Shimabara, if you really want to know." Harada said. I tilted my head again, in a questioning way.

"Shimabara..?" The name sounded familiar... "Wait... that's in the red-light district, isn't it?" I asked calmly, curiously. Nagakura looked back and forth between us and sighed.

"C'mon, what're you doing, telling a girl the truth about is going to Shimabara..." Nagakura crossed his arms, an exhausted looking facial expression on his face. It looked weird.

"You know me, I can't lie. Besides, it's not like we're going to be doing anything bad." Harada said, turning a bit more to face Nagakura.

"Not you, maybe. You're just coming along to drink." Nagakura said. I looked at the two blankly. What else could you do there in Shimabara other than eat or drink?

I tilted my head once again, and asked innocently "Nagakura... are you going for something other than the alcohol? What else can you do there at Shimabara besides eating or drinking?" He made a face I couldn't quite interpret, and looked the other way. Unlike Chizuru, who knew a lot more than me, and would probably know why Nagakura had acted like this, I was still way more innocent in knowledge than Chizuru. "But... you're going in the afternoon?"

"Isn't that ever man's dream?" Harada asked me. I shrugged. I wouldn't know, I wasn't a man. Harada didn't seem terribly concerned about the appearance of impropriety.

"Well, even so, I hardly think it's good to be... drinking in the afternoon..." I said softly. Even if it was every man's dream, I still couldn't bring myself to condone it. Two of their captains drinking in the middle of the afternoon would hardly help the already-low public opinion of the Shinsengumi.

...Then again, it's not like it was really my business to care about how people thought of the Shinsengumi. "Yeah, I see your point. It's not really proper to be screwing around so early in the day." Nagakura said, but I merely nodded.

I didn't have a feeling he was really going to listen. I mean, why would he?

"Kyoto's been really dangerous lately, though. We can't exactly go have out fun at night like normal people. So to hell with how appropriate it is! A man's gotta live! We're gonna party whenever we feel like it!" I cringed a bit at his loud and raised voice, but I tried really hard not to. I wasn't really one to enjoy yelling, or loud noises.

It still didn't feel right, but even so, on some level, his logic made sense. After all, everyone needs to relax from time to time, especially if they have the worries of the Shinsengumi. And if they worked at night, then when else would they go but the afternoon? I was still thinking on that when Toudou walked in.

"Oh... Chiaki? Are you coming too?" He asked. I looked up.

"Well, I still haven't been given permission to leave the house. I don't want Hijikata to get mad at me..." I was just too scared of the guy... I shook my head and gave a little shrug. I noticed that Toudou's face fell a little bit. "So... you're going to Shimabara too then, Toudou?"

"Um, well... yeah. Um, look, Chiaki... You don't have to call me Toudou, okay? It just feels kinda cold, you know?" I nodded.

"Um... Well, what should I call you then...?" I asked.

"Just call me Heisuke. Everybody else does. After all, we're gonna be living together for quite a while." He said with a small shrug.

"Is that really okay? I mean, I don't want to be rude..." I said, looking at the ground a bit. He simply nodded enthusiastically. "Alright then... Heisuke-kun..."

"Right, there you go! So whaddya say we start over? Hello, Chiaki-chan, it's a pleasure to meet you!" He said, with a grin on his face. It made me smile as well. He gave me a short, friendly bow.

"Okay! It's a pleasure to meet you too, Heisuke-kun." I smiled cutely. It wasn't anything important. I knew that, but something about the exchange made me feel happy. Whether or not he'd intended to, Heisuke had cheered me up. "But... You're still going to Shimabara, then?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. I don't want to get in their way, and I know it's none of my business, but... "I'm not going there for the girls! I just wanna hang out with the guys, you know?" I nodded. I understand at least that much.

"I understand." I smiled at him.

I know the rest of the men treated him like a little brother, so it was easy to forget, but Heisuke was an adult. At any rate, I'd heard he could hold his liquor well enough. As I looked at his smile, I simply couldn't bring myself to try and stop him.

"Well, maybe if you dressed up like a real woman, that'd be enough eye candy to keep us out of trouble." Harada said with a sly smile. He was completely joking, teasing. I knew that, but still... It was still embarrassing to hear that.

"Wh-What?!" I felt the heat rise up to my cheeks.

"Yeah, hell yeah! You'd be real cute. Once stuff settles down, you oughta start dressing like a girl again." Heisuke agreed, making me blush even darker. I stayed silent though, looking down more. For some reason, it seemed embarrassing for them to suddenly start treating me like a girl, as if they'd only just remembered.

Not quite sure what to do, since I have never been complimented like that, other than by Chizuru, let alone the other gender, I gave them a simple awkward nod, and they beamed back at me. "When I... get the chance, someday. Okay?"

Heisuke almost literally jumped for joy. "That's a promise, Chiaki. You better not forget it." Harada said calmly with a smile. For some reason, I had a bad feeling about the promise I just made.

"Okay..." I nodded robotically.

I hardly needed them to tell me to dress like a woman again, once my life had calmed down a bit. I'd only promised to do something I would certainly have done anyways, so... why did I feel so embarrassed?

"Look, Chiaki, you've gotta see our side here. We bust ass every day keeping Kyoto safe." Nagakura said. I nodded, I understood, I was fine with it. I was just concerned at first.

"I understand, Nagakura-san. I really do, I was just concerned at first. But I trust you three. Just don't let Chizu-nee find you three sneaking out. She might not be very open-minded or understanding. She's a worry-wart." I smiled and winked a bit.

A part on me, deep down, was jealous of them. I had no interest in going to Shimabara, of course, but I had no choice in the matter: I was confined to the compound. With their freedom, I could have gone to search for my father, but as it was, I could do nothing.

"I'll bring you back something. What sort of food do you like?" Harada asked me. Did he really think the city had nothing to offer me but food? Well, then again... I do love food... especially treats and sweet goodies like dango...

No, dango might be too much trouble. "Can I have some tangerines? Maybe we could eat them together tomorrow afternoon." I said with a small smile. Harada gave a single short laugh and nodded.

"Soon as Hijikata gives you and Chizuru permission to go out, we'll take you wherever you wanna go!" Heisuke said with a small nod and smile. I nodded. He certainly sounded as though he meant it at least.

"Thank you, but Heisuke, you don't need to worry, all right?" I gave him my small smile. "Just being able to talk to you guys occasionally is nice enough for me. Being stuck with a depressed Chizuru is exhausting sometimes." I laughed at myself and the image in my mind of Chizuru being her sulking self. "Even if you can't take me now, the intent is what matters. You cheered me up."

He frowned quickly, but it was gone in a moment and he gave me a simple nod. Then, just as they were about to finally leave... Inoue-san arrived at the scene... "And just where do you think you're going?" He asked. We all turned as one to see Inoue walking towards us.

"Dammit... Just had to be Gen, huh?" Harada muttered almost inaudibly. His voice was only loud enough for us four to hear. Perhaps they did feel a bit guilty for going to Shimabara, I realized. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them.

"Well, um... I'm not going anywhere but... ah..." I said, trying to think of something. I had no idea what else to say! It seems like Heisuke thought of something.

"Um, well, you know, Gen-san! R-Right? We were going to go... train! Yeah, that's it!" He stuttered, stumbling over his own words. Heisuke quickly warmed to his excuse, as did Nagakura.

"Y-Yeah, exactly! Like Heisuke said! I mean, it's such a nice day! The sun's out, the breeze is warm. Plus, Chiaki here wanted to see what we do!" Nagakura said. To me, at least, the day felt rather cold, but perhaps, Nagakura wasn't as sensitive to such things...

I decided to keep my mouth shut. Only silently nodding. I actually was a little bit curious about them. Inoue raised an eyebrow. "My goodness, you're all so diligent! We train together so rarely these days. Might I join you?" He looked honestly happy; pleased with the dedication of his fellows.

I... I didn't know what to say. Harada, Heisuke, and Nagakura all looked as though they'd just learned of a beloved pet's death. "Um... I'm...sorry..?" To not somehow acknowledge what had just happened seemed... wrong, somehow. I had to say something. It was at that very moment that Heisuke suddenly snapped his eyes in my direction, before they widened and he spoke up.

"Oh man, I'm sorry! I really wanted to go train with you guys, but I just remembered I already had plans for today!" Heisuke said, walking over to me nervously, and standing by my side.

...Plans?

"See, I already promised Chiaki that I'd give her a tour of our headquarters! ...Right?!" He turned to me. I felt nervous, so I merely nodded. It was news to me, still, when he looked at me with eyes like those of a sad and adorably cute puppy, I had no choice but to go along.

"Y-Yes, that's right. Yes..." I answered. His eyes sparkled, and he grabbed hold of my hand and began to walk off, dragging me along with him. His grip was light, but I could feel how strong he was. The warmth from his hand transferring to my cold one felt nice, too. Heisuke had cheered me up earlier, after all... Perhaps this way, I'd be able to pay him back for that.

"Hold on there Heisuke, you really think you can-" Nagakura started, but before he could even finish, Harada interrupted, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I'd better come too, Chiaki. Make sure none of the guys give you any trouble." I merely nodded, dumbfounded and blank.

"I see, I see. Well, Harada does have a point. I'll leave her in your care, then. All right Shinpachi, shall we go?" Inoue said, turning to Nagakura. I felt bad for him, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"I expected this from Heisuke, but you, Sano?! I thought you were better than that!" Nagakura said. His knuckled had gone white, and he positively shook with anger. I cringed and instinctively squeezed Heisuke's hand a little tighter, cowering a little closer to the boy.

"Time to go!" Harada whispered to us.

"Shinpachi-san's got a bit of a short temper." Heisuke told me, as Harada pushed me from behind as Heisuke's grip tightened on my hand, and soon, we were moving away from the entrance at a rapid clip.

I could still hear Nagakura yelling, but the two men with me had begun to laugh, their eyes sparkling with mirth. It was infectious, and I quickly found myself laughing along with them. Heisuke's hand was still entwined with mine, but none of us minded. We barely realized.

Nagakura, on the other hand, had little cause for levity. I heard later that he and Inoue-san spent the rest of the day training, just the two of them. I felt a little bad. Nagakura's mouth was always in motion, and plenty that came out of it was none too nice, but underneath all that was a good man.


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

A/N: Last chapter was fun to write at the end! I hope you didn't miss the cute moment! I am starting it slow, for the romance, but I mean, it's not like Chiaki really has affections for the boy at first. Enjoy this chapter~!

I watched shadows drift up my wall as the orange light of the sun painted my room the color of autumn leaves. "How am I going to do this..?" Chizuru asked herself. Solitude was proving detrimental to any sort of continued optimism. All thoughts of hope eventually turned dark and hopeless. It was depressing, but most of all, it was frustrating. How could Chizuru let herself be discouraged so easily?

Fairly easily, actually. We'd been swept up in a frightening world we didn't understand and couldn't possibly control. "I can't possibly figure out what's happening to Father if I'm stuck here..." Chizuru muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, don't do anything stupid. If we lose the small amount of trust they already barely have in us, we might not ever be able to find Father, especially if you get us dead." She looked at me weirdly, "What? I mean, didn't you hear that Okita person talk? The whole time he was perfectly find with killing us." I shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Only Hijikata can grant us permission to leave, and he's gone..." I nodded at her.

"Yeah, he's in Osaka or something for something. So all we can do is wait, Chizu-nee." She nodded begrudgingly. I sighed at her pathetic attitude. How were we supposed to find him if she was going to sulk about it all day?

"You're right, Chi-chan..." She sighed, "Lamenting things we can't change wouldn't improve our situation, and would arguably make it worse." I nodded at her, before going back to playing with my hair, which I let down for a bit.

At least there was at least one thing I had to be thankful for. "Hey, at least they've been nice to us." Chizu rolled her eyes a bit. "Well, at least they have to me..."

I know Chizuru couldn't trust the men of the Shinsengumi completely. They were, after all, men who could take a life in the blink of an eye, but that didn't stop me from believing in them. They were all really nice deep down.

"They're nice men, deep down... right?" Chizu asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, Harada-san promised me to get me tangerines the next time he went out. Heisuke-kun was also really nice, he cheered me up the other day. And Nagakura-san, well... he's got a short temper, but he is really a good person." I told her.

"Has anybody called either of you gullible yet?" Okita's voice called out.

"Ah-!" Chizu exclaimed. Her voice though, froze in her throat. I shrugged. We turned to find Okita standing behind Chizuru, while I got up.

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" Chizuru asked.

"Oh, you didn't notice me? Well, it my turn to keep watch." Okita informed us.

"Did you hear everything we said?" Chizu asked. I scoffed, of course he did, idiot...

"Hm?" He said nothing, only smiled and blinked laconically. He obviously had heard us. I could tell Chizu wanted to scream, but before she could open her mouth, Saito stepped out from behind the door.

"I think that's enough fraternizing, Souji." Saito said calmly.

"Were you here the whole time, too?!" Chizu asked embarrassed.

"I arrived only moments ago." Saito answered.

"Oh, thank goodness..." Chizuru pressed her hand to her chest, in an effort to calm herself down. I shrugged and turned to them.

"So, I know why Okita-san is here, but why are you here Saito-san?" I asked, tilting my head. My waist length hair hanging to the side a bit as I tilted my head, and flowing as a nice cool breeze blew in the room.

"I came to tell you that dinner is ready, but... Have I interrupted anything?" I shook my head at Saito, before walking up to him a bit more, away from the corner I was laying in. "I had intended to wait until you and Souji finished your discussion, but..." AHA! So he had heard us!

He let his words hang in the air, but his eyes said that he'd determined we'd continued forever if he didn't interrupt. I had opened my mouth to say something... I'm not sure what, when-

Heisuke shot through the door. The moment he saw us however, his face fell. Well, for a second, when he looked at me, I could have sworn I saw something pink dusting his cheeks, but the moment I blinked, it was gone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on here, Hajime-kun? You and them buddies now?"

"My apologies, I was only here on business." Saito simply said, with a stone cold face as always. Heisuke perked up at Saito's apology, and he gave the other man a quick grin.

"Well, it's time to eat. Let's go! We don't hurry up, it's all gonna be gone!" Heisuke said. I felt a bit down, at the exclamation. While they went to eat, we would have to sit alone in our room and eat together. And with a depressed Chizuru, it wasn't very nice...

"You guys can come, too." Heisuke said. I looked up, and smiled.

"Okay!"

. . . . .

"You're late.' Harada said, as Saito, Okita, and Heisuke walked in, with me and Chizuru trailing behind them. The moment we stepped into the dining hall, Nagakura and Harada looked up at us.

"You kids're late. Who's gonna answer to my crying stomach?" Nagakura complained.

"You mean 'growling,' Shinpachi-san. Really, he's so simple sometimes." Heisuke said with a grin. I giggled a bit, too.

"You guys oughta apologize to my stomach! He wanted to dig in, but I said, 'No, we've gotta wait for 'em.'" Nagakura countered.

"You're such a softie, Shinpachi. All right guys, it's time to eat, and that means every man for himself." Harada said. I sat next to Heisuke on the end, while Chizuru sat in between Harada and Nagakura.

"Man, there's barely enough here to feed a kid, let alone a man. So, I'll just have to...take yous!" Nagakura exclaimed as he took some of Heisuke's food. "Survival of the fittest! This food is mine!"

"Hey! Why do you always steal my food?!" Heisuke exclaimed.

"Ahahahaha! It's 'cause of the difference in size, kid! I got a bigger body. That means I need more food!" Nagakura said, laughing in the beginning. I giggled at their exchange.

"Well I'm still growing, old man, so I gotta eat more, too!" Heisuke argued.

"Sorry you had to see this, Chizuru. They're always like this." Harada told Chizuru.

"I've... gotten...um... used to it..." Chizu replied. I was still lightly laughing at their exchange.

"Is acceptance of such insanity not somewhat frightening?" Saito asked. "... That food is mine." It seemed like when it came to food, you don't try to take anyone else's food.

In the end, when Heisuke gave up trying to steal Nagakura's food, I gave him some of mine. "Huh? Oh, Chiaki-chan, you don't have to give me your food. This always happens." Heisuke said, giving it back to me.

I simply smiled, and putting it back on his plate. "It's okay. I'm not hungry. Besides, you probably need it more than I do." He thanked me and took it, eating it gratefully.

The others also told Chizuru to eat to her heart's content, since she didn't take much, while Heisuke and I had a nice conversation. It felt nice, being like this. I felt so comfortable now here, when a few weeks ago, I couldn't have imagined this happening to me.

. . .

"Gentlemen, do you have a moment?" Inoue-san asked, coming into the room. As usual, his voice was warm, but in his eyes, was a level solemnity I'd never seen before. At least, during our thus-far brief acquaintance.

The warmth of the room disappeared almost immediately, as we all stopped what we were doing. "I've just received word from Osaka. Sanan-san has been gravely injured in battle." Inoue says.

"What?!" Chizuru gasps. I look down a bit. They all went quiet. Inoue continued. Sanan had gone to investigate a report of several ronin harassing a cloth merchant. He'd managed to drive them off, but not before being wounded by the ronin.

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked.

"It wasn't his arm that was wounded. He's almost certain to survive, but wielding a blade will be... difficult for him." Inoue explained.

"Oh, thank goodness." Of course, Chizuru, didn't know that none of this was okay.

"Shut up, idiot!" I snapped and hissed at my sister. "This isn't alright!"

For a second, everyone looked at me shocked. But Inoue continued a moment later. "He should be returning here in a few days. Now please, excuse me. I must speak with Kondo-san." And then he left.

It was Saito who eventually broke the awkward silence. "A sword is not made to be carried in a single hand. If his injury is severe, he may never carry a blade again."

"Oh..." Chizuru's head hung down a bit in guilt, only realizing now what she said wasn't appropriate for the situation. I sighed, at last, she finally understood. Yes, Sanan-san was alive, but without the ability to wield a sword...

"Fighting with a single hand would mean less strength behind his blows. Against an opponent of similar skill, he would almost certainly lose." Saito explained.

Okita sighed, "If pushed comes to shove, he'll have to take it. I don't think Sanan-san's just going to give it up." Hm? What's he talking about?

"Don't jinx him, Souji. It's gonna look bad if officers start joining the Corps?" What?

"Huh?" Chizuru tilts her head to the side, as I continue to eat. I was curious, yes, but I knew it was something I shouldn't need to know. On the other hand, Chizuru let her curiosity kill the cat. Of course though, it didn't make any sense. "But... what do you mean 'Corps'? Isn't that the Shinsengumi?"

"Well normally, yeah. You might call the Shinsengumi the 'Elite Volunteer Crops.' When we talk about "the Corps," though, we-" Suddenly, Heisuke was cut off.

"HEISUKE!" Harada exclaimed, getting up and punching the poor boy, making him go flying and hitting the wall behind us.

I gasped in horror, rushing over to the boy's side. "Heisuke, are you alight?"

"Ow..." Nagakura sighed.

"Sano, you're overreacting. Heisuke, think before you open that damn mouth!" His eyes were cold and hard as he turned to look straight at Chizuru.

"Sorry." Harada simply said, before sitting back down. Heisuke responded with a quick, pained smile. I drowned them out as I put on hand behind Heisuke and one on his chest, helping him sit up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried. Why was I so worried about him, I figured he'd be alright if he wasn't knocked out by that blow. I mean, after all, he wasn't like normal people, if he was a captain of the Shinsengumi.

"...Yeah, I'm alright. I forgot to keep my mouth shut about that stuff earlier. You two don't need to know everything about us. It was my fault. Still though, Sano, you start throwing those things around way too easily!" Heisuke said, calling out to Sano in the end.

I smiled a bit, glad he was okay. But... Why was I so concerned about Heisuke when he was punched? I shrugged the thought off. Well, I mean, I thought, he has become a friend of mine now, so of course I'd be worried, right?

. . . . .

I sighed, as I lay that night. I couldn't sleep. Chizuru was sound asleep, but I couldn't. I had my arms folded behind my head, as I laid there. We had finished our dinner in sad silence, excused ourselves, and returned to our room.

I had a great deal to think about. "The Shinsengumi...huh?" I whispered to myself. I knew the Shinsengumi, of course. Their name meant "Elite Volunteer Corps."

But this "Corps" they'd mentioned... it seemed to be something different. Really, that was the least of my worries, though. I mean, it wasn't any of my business anyway, but the one thing my mind kept wandering to, was Heisuke.

Why would I feel so worried about him? Why would I care so much about his wellbeing? Of course, I thought of him, and some of the others as friends, but... it was different.

I knew he would be okay, and I knew the others would have been okay if they were in Heisuke's position earlier at dinner, and I wouldn't have worried so much. But when it came to Heisuke, why was he so different?

ARGH! Why was this so frustrating?! I haven't felt this before! This weird feeling... I did my best to push out the day's events from my head, and pulled the covers over me more, falling asleep in my futon.


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

A/N: Woo! I am going through this fast! Well, I am having fun. Don't worry though, this is just the beginning! Since I am using the game though, I have to go on the Heisuke route, so in the future, there will be a lot of scenes like in Chapter 6. I didn't make that up, it's another story plot you take instead of the different choices. But there will be a lot of differences from the Anime, so don't be too surprised. Okay? Well, Enjoy!

 **June 1864**

It had been awhile since the incident, and everyone had pretty much gotten over it. I had gotten closer to everyone, well, mostly everyone. And I felt myself get a place here. Later that day, was when Hijikata called for both Chizuru and I.

"Excuse me." We said in sync, coming into the room. Heisuke gave as a big smile as we entered the room. I felt relieved to find that Okita and Heisuke had been along with us. A private conversation between Chizuru, Hijikata, and myself would have been cause for a significant case of nerves.

I could see Chizuru trying to puzzle out what to say when Hijikata began to speak, his voice cold as tempered steel. "You two can leave the compound."

"Really?!" She exclaimed brightly. I stayed quiet smiling a little bit at the thought of finally being able to go outside of the compound. His announcement, though, was so sudden. However, while Hijikata was completely composed, I could see that Chizuru couldn't contain her enthusiasm.

"You two're going to be accompanying whoever's on duty. You jump when they say jump, and die when they say die. Are we clear? I merely nodded, sighing a bit under my breath at the analogy he used. Seriously, are we dogs to him?

"Yes, sir!" Chizuru, on the other hand, was too excited and happy to notice that Hijikata looked a little reluctant still to let us go out.

"Souji, Heisuke. You're on patrol today, right?" He asked, as if he didn't already know.

"Oh, I get it now. That's why you pulled us in here, right?" Heisuke asked, finally putting the pieces together. I giggled a bit at his airheaded move. The confusion on his face that had been there since we entered lifted at last. "I think it's going to be Souji's turn this time, though. The 1st Division's doing rounds today, isn't it?"

Aw, I was kind of looking forward to spending my first time out in months (7 months to be exact) outside of the compound.

"Yes, Heisuke and the 8th are going out tonight, so I think he has a point. They'll be safer during the afternoon." Okita said and he nodded at Heisuke, who gave me a quick wink. I felt the heat tint my cheeks, as I looked down.

"Don't forget: if you run, I'll kill you. And if we get jumped by ronin, I'm not sticking around to pull your ass out of the fire, okay?" Okita told us with his Cheshire smirk. He wasn't being serious, I knew that for sure, so I had scoffed at him. Although he wasn't serious, Hijikata still turned his cold glare on Okita and frowned.

"No, it's not okay, you idiot. Why the hell do you think I'm sending those two with you?" Hijikata turned to Okita and asked him. Okita's only response was a short snort of laughter.

"I won't run." Chizuru told them seriously. I rolled my eyes slightly and smiled, and nodded. "Me neither." We all knew he wasn't being serious (Okita), but I doubt Chizuru could keep her mouth shut right now.

"When I came here, we made a deal. I promised." Chizuru continued. "The Shinsengumi would help me find my father, and I would keep quiet and not run away."

"I'll keep my promise, too." I said with as much determination as my older sister, "I still want to find father just as much as the day I had first set off on finding him with Chizu-nee. So, please keep yours."

We gave Okita a short bow, Chizuru never taking her eyes off his face, while mine lingered over to Heisuke. The smirk on Okita's face that he'd wearing began to shrink to something smaller and more than a little awkward. Heisuke, though, had a grin on his face as he gave us a thumbs up.

"My apologies. I guess I underestimated you. You should realize, though, that there's no way to know what could happen to you two out there." Okita said, to which i scoffed and it was more visible than the other one.

"Pleases," I started, "We're keeping our end of the bargain. So make sure you keep yours. If you can't protect my sister, then I will. How do you think we made it so far to Kyoto? We went from Edo all the way down here. Just because Chizuru isn't as good with a blade as an average person should be, doesn't mean I am not. I wouldn't say I was of your levels, but I am just good enough to protect the one person who is dear to me. And I won't let you, or anyone else let something happen to her."

It got quiet and awkward after my little outburst, my confident and somewhat scary- to me- side of me disappeared, and my regular self-came back. Uh oh... I acted way out of line! "I'm sorry!" I suddenly exclaimed, before excusing myself and running out the door.

I knew Chizuru would be fine without me outside today. I would choose to go another day, or maybe Chizuru might come to get me. I slowly stopped, going from a run, to a jog, to a walk, and then I just stopped. AH! That was so embarrassing! I only get like that when i am fighting or using my sword!

I should probably get back. GAH! I don't want to go back in there though... Suddenly, when I turned around, I bumped into a chest of someone. I stumbled back a bit and apologized but...

"Oh! S-Sorry-!" It was Heisuke.

"Man, you're a fast runner!" He said, grinning a bit.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the Common room with Hijikata-san, Okita-san, and Chizu-nee?" I tilted my head. I hope that didn't sound too rude, it was just a blunt question!

"Well, you ran out, and I already know what they're talking about. It's about the Choshu and about how they think your father was spotted in some areas of Kyoto, so Chizuru is going out to look around right now. Did you want to go?"

I shook my head, "Nah, Chizuru's got this. Plus, I trust Okita-san. He'll take care of her. I'll go another day." I shrugged. I smiled in the end, though.

"Oh, well, since I have the day off free, want to go out into the city? I promised you I would take you right away when you able to, didn't I?" Heisuke asked, after making his suggestion.

I smiled, as he grinned, and nodded. "I'd like that."

We went out, and actually, we had a lot of fun. That was to expect, though. We went out, and I used the money Chizuru and I still had with us to get some Mitarashi Dango. Yum!

"So, *munching on dango* how come you didn't go with Chizuru, Okita, and the 1st division?" Heisuke asked. I finished chewing my dango, before answering.

"Well, I kind of wanted to spend my first time out in 7 months with you. I would have liked to go with the guys, too! It's just, they were all busy so I guess since you promised..." I answered, trailing off at the end. I looked down, feeling a blush start to form on my cheeks. Why was I acting like this?!

"Oh, um, well... Thanks! It means a lot to me, to have you remember that promise, I man, it was about 5 or so months ago since I promised you that, so I figured you just forgot. I'm glad you didn't, though!" He responded to my answer, with a big grin on his face, pink lightly dusting his cheeks!

This after noon, was so far the best I've ever had! Soon, we made our way back to the compound. When we would get back to the headquarters, and when Okita, Chizuru, and the 1st division would come back, we were in for a big problem!


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

Chizuru was silent, as her and Okita sat in the middle of the room, the rest of the captains sitting around in the back of the room, and I was sitting next to Heisuke, in between him and Harada. Nagakura was on the other side of Heisuke. A man named Shimada Kai and Yamazaki Susumu behind us.

When Chizuru had returned from the daily patrols the 1st Division went on, to the Shinsengumi headquarters. Sanan had a number of words for them. They weren't particularly pleasant, though. They had been kneeling for some time, and we had been sitting just silently watching as the colonel berated the two, before Okita finally spoke up.

"You don't need to lose you head over it, Sanan-san. After all, we arrested a couple of Choshu people." During the patrols, Chizuru had gotten in the middle of a little fight, and she went for shelter in a shop, and then some people in the shop noticed her, remembered that she was trailing with the Shinsengumi 1st Division, and they pointed it out.

I heard that a fight occurred in the shop, and when the fight was over, they'd discovered a massive arms cache, and confiscated the entire thing. No one had bothered to explain to me what was happening, however, since it was none of my business, but I could tell Chizuru was just as lost as I was.

"Not something to lose my head over?" Sanan-san asked, before retaliating. "My head is right where it belongs, Okita-kun. Perhaps you should inquire after _yours_."

I had to stifle a smile behind my kimono sleeve. It was a serious time, that much I could tell, so I didn't want to seem ride, but this was too good! It was hilarious, how Sanan was able to twist the words around and BURN Okita-san.

"The man claiming to be Kiemon Masu was in truth Shuntaro Furutaka, a Choshu spy." Sanan-san continued, giving a very frustrated and clearly angry face, still. "I assume you were aware that the Shinsengumi was allowing him to operate in the hope of acquiring enemy intelligence?"

"Yes, I was, but we didn't have a choice this time. I had to bring him in." Okita said. His excuse was weak, and his petulant frown suggested he knew it.

"Well, it's not like it was a total bust. Like Souji said, they did arrest some guys." Harada said, looking at the brighter side of things- trying to lighten up the mood a tad bit.

"Yeah, but don't you feel bad for Shimada-kun and Yamazaki-kun? They were staking out the place to keep an eye on Furutaka." Heisuke said, defending the two behind us. The corners of Heisuke's mouth twitched into a momentary smile. Shimada interrupted before Heisuke could continue.

"We appreciate your concern, Toudou-kun, but nobody needs to lose any sleep on our account." Shimada said with a kind smile. "We were getting nowhere with Masu's the last few days anyways. Okita did us a favor."

Yamazaki nodded in silent agreement. So far, I liked these two. They seemed nice, though they still hadn't officially introduced themselves. "Furutka's arrest is over and done. You won't hear any complaints from us about it."

"Man, you two are the definition of stoic and reasonable. Souji on the other hand..." Nagakura trailed off, leaving the words hang in the air. It didn't look like Nagakura was going to let Oita get away without thoroughly rubbing his face in his mistake. At last, it seemed Chizuru could remain quiet no longer.

"It was my fault..." She started, before continuing. "Some ronin were causing trouble, so I tried to get out of the way. I got separated from Okita in the crowd, and I didn't go right back to him. Before I really realized what was going on, there I was in front of Masu's, and someone was shouting about how I was with the Shinsengumi-"

"But who was tasked with looking after you?" Sanan interrupted. He glared at my sister, his eyes hard and angry. I could see Chizuru shrink back in fear. I returned Sanan's glare to him by a tenfold, glaring at him as he glared my twin down. _How dare he?!_ "The captain of our 1st Division can't even keep track of a single charge. Is this the best the Shinsengumi can do?"

HOW DARE HE?! I thought angrily. I clenched my fists on my lap, and continued to glare at the man. He was starting to really get on my nerves. He's just bitter because of his arm wound. Of course, for my safety, I wouldn't say it aloud, but everyone knew Sanan-san had changed. He wasn't kind anymore- even if the kindness was fake- it was gone. Long gone. It was as if that once nice and quiet Sanan-san died back in Osaka, and this other Sanan-san came back.

Hijikata came in the room, when the sliding door sounded, I immediately looked up, no longer glaring, but just clenching my fists into the cloth of my pants as I sat seiza- just like the rest. "I told her she could go. They were only following orders." Hijikata said, as serious as ever. Sanan looked up as Hijikata walked into the room. He gave the vice-commander a tight, wry smile, but got only a peaceful, impartial glance in return.

"If you're here, that means you're done interrogating Furutaka, right?" Harada asked. I was kind of wondering at this point, why I was even here. What did I have to do with this? I mentally shrugged the thoughts away, as I listened to the rest, calming down from the earlier rage I had felt for Sanan-san. Hijikata didn't so much as blink.

"They're going to wait for a day when the wind picks up, then set Kyoto on fire and kidnap the emperor while everyone else is losing their shit." Hijikata explained to the rest. "So they say, at least." His voice was calm and measured, but we all felt the import of his words.

"Burn down the city? Those Choshu guys are crazier than I thought." Nagakura added his own comment, as always. He followed his own comment with a rude gesture that made me blush involuntary, as well as Chizuru. After being around these men for so long, I had begun to learn things...that well... I didn't really need to know.

"So they just want to kidnap the emperor? Seems a little contradictory for a bunch of guys who call themselves imperialist." Heisuke commented. He was right, though. It was kind of weird. You'd think they would plan that for the Shogun instead, not the emperor.

"Whatever their reasons, we can hardly ignore their plans." Saito said.

"They're probably meeting tonight. We need to get ready to move out." Hijikata told everyone.

"Understood, Vice-Commander." Saito nodded.

"All right! Finally! I'm getting chills!" Nagakura said excitedly. They didn't all display the same level of... professionalism... but each man there made it clear that he was prepared. As they quieted down, Hijikata towards me as if he had only just noticed mine and Chizuru's presence.

"We did get some information on Kodo. Apparently he visited Masu's with some men from Choshu." Hijikata told us, Chizuru looked shocked and surprised, while I was as baffled as Chizuru. In my own opinion, Father's whereabouts were quite suspicious, but until now, I had never questioned it. Thinking of only the good things I knew of him, not of all these things we had found out about the man who really, we knew very close to nothing about.

"What?!" Chizuru exclaimed. "He was with the Choshu...? But the Choshu are at odds with the shogun... Why would my father be with them?" No one had an answer for her. None of us knew, heck, we were just as clueless as her. Me including. I could tell there was something they were hiding from us, but if they didn't want to know, I would wait until they were ready to trust enough, if that was even going to happen at all...

Preparations for the raid began immediately. Within moments, the compound was a beehive of activity, with soldiers and officers running back and forth. The tension was thick enough to cut with a dull knife, and I found it affecting Chizuru, despite my best efforts. Chizuru's encounter at Masu's had created new problems for them, and I hoped we might be able to help out to make up for it, but...

How were we supposed to help prepare for a raid we were obviously not going to partake in? After all, it really wasn't much of our business. Really, the least I could do was bring in the injured or something. As for Chizuru, she could do much. She didn't have the sword skill to defend herself much. It didn't help she was an airhead and didn't pay attention to her surroundings all the time.

I heard Chizuru sigh from beside me. There was nothing for us to do but sit in our rooms, though I could tell Chizuru felt terrible; being useless. I wouldn't deny it, either, I absolutely did not enjoy the feeling, but what else could I do but stay out of their way? I had to remind Chizuru it was none of our business, and it was best we avoid getting in anyone's way.

I heard voices nearby. "We don't have enough men. Kondou has only ten soldiers ready to fight." Saito said, with a small sight.

"Hijikata and I have twenty-four apiece, right? Man, half our guys are out with stomachaches... Not exactly a laughing matter, eh, Saito?" Harada said. Although he said it wasn't a laughing matter, it didn't really keep the man from laughing. If I was correct... Kondou would be taking his men to the Ikeda Inn, and Hijikata would be taking his men to the Shikoku Inn. "So... you think we'll bring 'em along on this on? It's a night missions. It'd be perfect..." Harada asked Saito.

Suddenly, I felt like this wasn't something we should be hearing. I sighed, before I heard Harada continued. "We lost a couple the other day, but there should still be a few left, right?"

"I heard they won't be seeing combat for a while. They're having... difficulty adjusting." Saito replied. "They stop listening to orders as soon as they see blood. It's... inconvenient." ...What? I swore I heard something about a reaction to blood before... No, this was something I wasn't supposed to hear, I though as I shook my head. Did they not realize I was there? If they didn't, I could hardly announce my presence after what I'd heard.

"They're gotta be spinning in their graves... Didn't they choose to do this so they could fight?" Harada asked the silent man beside him.

"Sano, you only say that after someone's actually dead." Saito corrected him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. They aren't really dead, are they? In fact, they're even harder to kill now..." Harada said.

...

There was no doubt that what I was hearing was not meant for me. I shoved my fingers into my ears and closed my eyes tight. The best I could do was make sure I didn't hear anything more. On the other hand, I wouldn't have known Chizuru would have kept listening. For some reason, she was infamous for getting her head stuck in other people's business.

"Oh? Yukimura-kun? What are you doing here? Your sister's in your room." My eyes flew open to see Kondo standing in front of me.

"Um... I was..." I was at a loss. "I couldn't just sit there..." I told him the truth about how I'd felt so useless, and left my room to find some way to help.

"A, of course. I see. I know how you feel! The men are pretty excited, aren't they?" He smiled.

"Yes..." I nodded. I wouldn't have said excited, more so bloodthirsty.

"Would you care to join us?" Kondou asked. "After all, I heard your skill was much better than your sister's wasn't it? I heard you had to use yours to protect your sister often, before." I flushed in a bit of embarrassment.

"Well, I wouldn't say I was on par with you guys... I mean, I manage to survive..." Honestly, when I had gotten over the compliment, I was stunned. "Wait, what?!" I was not expecting him to ask me to come, or if I wanted to.

"Well, we could certainly use a messenger, but if you'd rather not, there's no need to feel obligated." Kondo said, making me feel a lot more relieved.

Oh good, just a messenger, not acting participating in the raid. Yeah, if I was in the raid, I might not have lasted. I thought about it for a bit, before I nodded, with a determined smile on my face. "I'll do my best." His face split into a grin, and that was how I found myself on the way to the Ikeda Inn, to accompany the Shinsengumi on their raid.


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

"I'll do my best." His face split into a grin, and that was how I found myself on the way to the Ikeda Inn, to accompany the Shinsengumi on their raid.

 **-Hour of the Dog-**

After we arrived at Ikeda, I was sent off on several short errands nearby. I returned to hear Nagakura talking to Okita. "Well, looks like we hit the jackpot on this one. Not sure if they're brave or stupid for meeting right next to a government building..."

I stifled a laugh and smile with I hid my face with my light blue sleeve. "I knew they'd be here. After all, they've always met at Ikeda before." Okita said with crossed arms over his chest. His smirk as ever present on his face.

"Sure, but the night Furutaka gets arrested? That just seems sloppy to me." Nagakura said, concerned with his arms crossed over his chest, too. "I mean, why not meet somewhere else? Any normal person would worry someone was onto them."

"Well, _obviously_ , they're somewhat less than normal After all, they _are_ meeting at the Ikeda Inn, aren't they?" Okita replied. But for the subject matter, it could have been any conversation between Nagakura and Okita.

Perhaps the Choshu were trying to trick the Shinsengumi- I certainly wouldn't have known. Whatever the reason for their behavior, however, it doesn't seem to have Nagakura or Okita particularly worried. Heisuke noticed me as I approached and jogged over.

"So? How'd it go? Did you see anyone from the Aizu or the Judiciary Commissioner?" Heisuke asked me as I approached and stopped walking.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't really see much of anyone nearby." He frowned and grunted unhappily to himself. I looked down a bit, I felt a little bad since I hadn't really seen anyone yet, but I reassured myself, saying that it wasn't my fault. Not at all.

"So they still haven't made their move? We told them even before it started to get dark..." Heisuke's frown was something I had barely seen. He was usually grinning or smiling, but I haven't seen him this serious in a while.

"Settle down, Heisuke." Nagakura said, as he smacked Heisuke playfully on the shoulder with a bark of laughter. "Besides, it's not like they'd do us any good if they _did_ show up. If this is gonna happen, we've gotta do it ourselves."

"Yeah I guess... It's just... Don't you think running in all on our own is a little reckless?" Heisuke asked, a bit worried. His words must have made sense to someone, because we decided to wait for reinforcements.

. ~ . ~ . ~ .

We waited for quite some time, but they never appeared.

 **-Hour of the Boar-**

I looked up at the sky. The moon had moved a good part of its way across the sky since we'd arrived at the Ikeda Inn. "Dammit... It's getting pretty late." Nagakura sighed.

"Kondo-san, what do you want to do? It'd be pretty lame if we just sat here all night and did nothing." Okita said with a small frown and a small sigh, as well. You could tell a lot of the ten men with us, had begun to get a little restless. After a while, Heisuke and I had just stood and talked for the longest time. It was getting nowhere; _we_ were getting nowhere for this operation.

The chief commander had been quiet for the last several hours, but when Okita spoke, he stood up and laid his hand on my shoulder. "Yukimura. Can you stay away from the Ikeda Inn?"

"Sure...?"

"Things are going to get dangerous. That place is full of rebel soldiers. We don't intend to allow them to escape, but... Better safe than sorry." Kondo explained. Then, he stood up, gave me a smile, and ran into the inn, the others following his lead. As Heisuke ran by, he gave me a grin that looked excited for action, and I smiled back, mouthing a silent "good luck" to him and the rest.

As Kondo kicked down the door, I heard him shout, "We are the Shinsengumi; retainers of the Lieutenant-General of the Aizu Doman! By imperial decree, you are all under arrest! Any who do not cooperate are to be cut down!" The words were scarcely out of his mouth when a cacophony of yells and screams erupted out of the inn. I cringed at the volume of the noise. I was never good with loud noises, and now that I think about it, it's a bit of a wonder how I last during mealtime with Nagakura and Heisuke...

"Giving the enemy a good, loud warning that he's about to kick the tar out of them. That's Kondo-san for you..." I heard Okita say, the smirk on his face clearly evident in his voice. Okita gave a bark of a laughter as he made his way more into the Inn.

"Eh, seems like good form anyways. It's polite to let 'em know what they're up against." Nagakura said.

"Oh, so your definition of 'good form' is putting us at a disadvantage?" Heisuke asked following the two. Heisuke and Nagakura grinned at one another as they too sauntered more into the lobby room of the inn.

"We act with authority of the government! Resist, you will be shown no mercy!" Shouted Kondo, as men rushed down towards them.

Then, the battle began in earnest. They yells of men and the clang of swords filed the air, rolling out through the doors and windows of the inn. I could hear feet pound up the stairs, the screams of men dying, the wet thud of bodies dropping to the floor. The clashing of swords. There was a cry for backup from Nagakura who nearly scared me, causing me to jump slightly.

Well, there was _someone_ , but...

All the men who'd come with the captains had run around to go in the back, and couldn't hear Nagakura. Even if they could have, I heard sounds of battle coming from the back of the inn as well. "What should I do?!" I asked myself. The only person left to go help them was me. But even if I did, what could I do? That was when I heard Kondo. "Are you okay, Souji?!"

Then, I heard Nagakura call out from a different part of the inn. "Dammit! Don't die on me, Heisuke!"

"On, no...!" I had no desire to go into a building full of men trying their best to kill one another. Even if I did, I had no illusions about my skill with a blade; I was sure to be over powered by the fact that a grown men who was about twice my age with ten times my skill could kill me. But I could hardly sit by and do nothing! I had to act fast, just as I had the last time I had protected Chizuru and I from a drunk...! Plus, I could just rescue the wounded- find them and carry them out of the inn.

My mind made up. I steeled myself and ran inside. Inside, it was pitch black. The smell of the fresh blood hit me in the stomach like a fist. The air reeked of it. There were dark lumps on the floor everywhere- the bodies of fallen men. Where were Okita and Heisuke...?

It had sounded like a good idea at the time, but as I looked around that channel house, I realized that there was no way I could possible carry two grown men outside. "I have to choose..." I told myself. This was a hard decision, but one I had to make none-the-less. Sorry Okita, I said in my mind, before I went to go look for Heisuke. He was always looking after me, so it was time I returned the favor. I looked around the inn.

"Yaaaaaaah!" A man yelled. I squeaked in surprised, pulled out my katana and blocked the strike, but I could feel he was much stronger than I. Out of the darkness a ronin appeared, and tried to cut me down. Luckily, I was fast enough to pull my sword out its sheath and block his attack, our swords colliding and blocking us as we battled for the upper hand. The swords crossed together made an "X."

I felt myself beginning to lose the battle, and as he jumped away and made for another attack, the sword came down again, but my block was a bit weaker, since he was now going even harder. I couldn't hold it for long, when-

Another blade came in-between us, helping me shove the sword off of ours. I looked, and it was Nagakura who had helped me. "You're fighting me, pal! You don't get to run off unless I say you can!" Nagakura exclaimed to the ronin. Nagakura got the upper hand, took a deep step, ducked, and swung his sword through the Ronin's stomach.

"Aaargh-!" The Ronin's yell ended in a wet gurgle as Nagakura's sword drove deeper into the man's stomach. Blood exploded everywhere.

It was so morbid, disgusting, and it would have made Chizuru throw up. And yet, I felt oddly calm. It was weird. I wasn't grossed out. I watched with a straight and calm face, my eyes lighting up at the sight of the sword coming in contact with the man and injuring him, making the blood come out. The blood. There was something about the blood. It wasn't repulsive, nasty, or nauseating. It was just... there... as if it was nothing...

A sigh brought me back to life. "...Sorry to ask you this right now, but Heisuke's in the back. Could you go get him?" Nagakura asked me. I nodded, opened my mouth to respond, but-

"Nagakura-san! Your hand!" He looked down at it, before giving a laugh. It was not a laughing matter! His left hand was drenched in bright, crimson blood. It looked as if a good portion of it was simply... gone. "It looks awful!"

"That? Ha... Didn't even know I had it. I'm fine, all right? Doesn't even hurt. So stop making that face. Heisuke needs more help, than I do. I'm counting on you." I nodded, determination flashing through my eyes, and dashed off towards the back. I dodged people coming at me, ducking, jumping out of the ay, side-stepping out of the way, you get the gist of it.

It wasn't long before I found him. "Heisuke?! Heisuke, you're hurt!"

He blinked and looked around, almost as if he couldn't see me. Perhaps it was all the blood running into his eyes from the wound on his forehead... "Chiaki...? Goddammit, what the hell are you doing here, idiot?! I could see is chest heaving, as if each breath was an effort for him.

"Wh-What...? What do you mean?" I exclaimed. "I'm here because I was worried about you! I... I thought maybe I could help!"

"Well, you can't!" Ouch, that hurt. "This is dangerous, and that was stupid! This is _not_ a good time to be worrying about me!"

"Maybe, but that's a serious injury!" I argued back.

"N-No, it's nothing! I'll just walk it off! I feel better already!" He countered, stubbornly. As he spoke, he turned around, his sword held in a ready position, prepared to defend me, but he was so weak. I could see that he only kept his grip on his katana with great effort. The ronin across from us, on the other hand, was as silent and calm as a great statue.

"Wait..." I muttered, inspecting the man in front of us.

There was something... Something didn't seem right. I felt something go off in me, and the man widened his eyes as he looked at me. In the reflection of me in his eyes, the craziest thing I have ever seen was present! My eyes glowed! They glowed yellow, and bits and pieces of the slight cuts I had gotten on my face when I was fighting that one ronin with Nagakura, and blocking other attacks from others as I ran here, glowed a golden, too, as they healed!

Suddenly, I realized what it was that was off about this guy, as I shook of the yellow glowing thing from my thoughts, it was vanishing anyway. The ronin in front of us had no SWORD! What!? I didn't have the time to try and figure out what that meant, though, I had to help Heisuke. I knew if I tried to stop him, it wouldn't help his confidence level. He really seemed to care what I thought a lot at times. I don't know why though...

Anyways, even if he did stop for me, this man might not let us. So, I had to help him. We had to do something about the ronin. With grim determination, I laid my hand on the hilt of my katana. He saw me move, and Heisuke's eyes went wide. "I'll help you fight, too, then. I... might not be able to help much, but I can watch your back. It will almost be like when i am protecting Chizu-nee!"

He looked stunned for a second, and then his mouth split into a grin. "Right, so you're supposed to become my eyes or something? C'mon, that'd take like five years, at least." It wasn't really the answer I'd expected to hear, and I couldn't help but laugh at it with a smile on my face.

The ronin looked at us and sighed, "I have no reason to fight you. Especially you." He said looking at me. Why was he emphasizing me? Was it because he somehow figured out I was a girl?! Holy shit this guy is smart! Wow, this guy's got some chivalry, then... "If you leave, then I do not intend to take your life." He said more to Heisuke. Again, there it is! Why is he singling me out?!

But wait, was he... letting us go? Considering the fix we were in, that was quite a favor. But how would Heisuke take that? But... could we really believe him? "We... we can't let you go. Anybody who's with the Choshu is... is..." Heisuke wobbles, stumbling a bit.

"Heisuke!" He could barely stand... Let alone fight.

"You assume too much, I am not one of the Choshu." The man said, his arms crossing as if we were on a battlefield right now.

"Then why the hell are you at the Ikeda-" His words were forced, as if it took all of his effort to speak, and the tip of his sword was beginning to shake. I could see him barely holding out his consciousness. He looked like he could collapse any moment. He wasn't scared, of course, but his injuried were great. Even the most powerful swordsman was still only a man.

The ronin took one last, unreadable look at us, and then turned around to leave. "Get back here, goddammit!" Heisuke shouted, taking a step forward towards the mysterious man's retreating figure.

"Heisuke!" He began to run after the ronin, but planted his foot in a pool of fresh blood and crashed to the floor. I sheathed my sword, running up to him.

"Dammit... _dammit..._! This isn't over! Just you wait until I...! You're gonna..." Heisuke muttered furiously. He made a few more grunts that sounded like attempts at further explicit curses I would never want to hear ever again, and then his eyes closed and he went unconscious.

"I need to stop the bleeding!" I exclaimed to myself.

Quickly, I tore off a section of my soft light blue sleeve and pressed it against his forehead, the piece of cloth almost instantly becoming stained with Heisuke's blood. It looked as though the blow had only torn the skin, although it had gone all the way through to his skull. At last, I felt myself relax a bit. We were still in danger, but Heisuke's wounds didn't look fatal.

I gave out a sigh of relief, but then I saw the head-guard lying on the floor. It was obviously Heisuke's, as he was wearing one when he entered the Inn, and when I had run into him here, he wasn't wearing one anymore. It had been cracked cleanly in half by...something. Their fight must have been an awfully intense one. I was just starting to feel a bit nauseous, the grotesque stench finally getting to me, but I shook it off. Heisuke needed my help. I could give up, not yet!

I brought Heisuke up, caring him with all my might, after sheathing his sword back into his holder, and made my way outside. I had succeeded, and I continued to go in and out, where I met with my sister. She was awfully pale, and she looked like she was gonna be sick. Together, we helped Okita out, and it seemed the reinforcements and Hijikata were here.

The two of us continued to go in and out, checking for injured, and it seemed there weren't anymore. And then, the sun soon came up. The raid itself had lasted only two hours, but to me, it seemed as though it had lasted an eternity. It felt far, way longer than a mere two hours. There had been twenty imperial nationalists at the Ikeda Inn. The Shinsengumi had killed seven ronin, and injured four more.

I learned later that with the help of the Aizu Domain and the Kyoto Judiciary Commissioner they had arrested twenty-three people. The owner of the Ikedaya had also been arrested, for trying to help the Choshu rebels escape. The Shinsengumi had won an incredible victory, fighting against superior numbers in enemy territory, but they had paid dearly for it.

Okita had taken a blow to the chest, and lost consciousness. Heisuke had been cut on the forehead, and the bleeding refused to stop. I knew, I was there with Yamazaki-san who had taken care of the injured with my and Chizuru's help. Nagakura had injured his left hand, as I had seen. Once of the Shinsengumi's soldiers had lost his life at the inn's rear entrance, and two others had been severely injured there as well.

It didn't seem likely that they would survive...

The Kyoto Military and the Judiciary Commissioners- run by the Aizu and Kuwana Domains, respectively- had also fought Choshu ronin. With their successful resolution of the Battle at Ikedaya Inn, the Shinsengumi had at last made a name for themselves. It looked as though the peace in Kyoto had been protected. Never could I have imagined what the ultimate result of their victory at the Ikedaya Inn would be...


	11. Chapter 11

**11**

 **July 1864**

After the fight at the inn, Chizuru and I were able to leave the compound much more often. I supposed after what I'd done, Hijikata thought I'd earned a little more trust. I didn't feel like I'd done anything that extraordinary, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

On this particular day, I was out on patrol with Harada and the 10th Division. Chizuru was back at the compound, back at the Shinsengumi headquarters. She had gotten a nightmare the night previous, so she didn't get much sleep. I told her it was fine she didn't come, and we decided I would only be the one out of the two of us to go on the patrol with them today.

"Excuse me... Harada-san? The Shinsengumi is out patrolling day and night, right?" He nodded. "But... what exactly is it that you do?"

Most of the men in the Shinsengumi were intimidating, death-dealing titans, but Harada, and the rest of some of the other captains were a rare exception: warm and friendly. I had found out that Heisuke, Harada, and Nagakura were the nicest so far to me. Of course, everyone else were great, too. It's just that I had lots of fun with them most of the time.

"Well, I guess we do just about everything." Harada responded, answering my question. "Obviously we arrest people who decide they want to test out their swords on the townsfolk, and we go after people who steal or don't pay for their food. Sometimes we even break up fights..."

"People who don't pay for their food..?"

"And then there's those chumps who think they'll make a living leaning on the merchants... We take care all of that." Harada finished. It wasn't really the answer I'd expected. Most stuff they did wasn't nearly as... dramatic as I'd thought it would be... As I though back, I remember how excited they'd all been when they were preparing for the raid on the Ikedaya Inn. Now I understood why.

What they'd done at the inn was a good deal more intense than their day-to-day work. A little further down at the road a couple men in Shinsengumi blues were waving at us. "Ah! Nagakura-san!" I exclaimed happily. Our separate rounds had brought us to the same spot.

"Hey there Chiaki! You find anything out about your dad?" Nagakura asked, with a grin on his face as he approached us. I looked down and shook my head no, I was actually kind of bummed I hadn't found out anything at all yet about Father's whereabouts.

"No. Nothing today..." My mood suddenly went downhill, taking a drop down in the dumps.

"Aw c'mon, cheer up! There's always tomorrow, right?" Nagakura cheered me up with a grin. I nodded, smiling. He was right, it was true; there was always tomorrow to go looking for Father, and you never know, maybe I might find something.

"Yeah... Yeah! You're right!" There was something contagious about his optimism.

"Well, Shinpachi? You find anything exciting?" Harada asks.

"No. Nothing in particular, but... Well, all of the people on the street are acting...busy, you know?" Nagakura answered. I hadn't noticed it before, but... he was right. They were acting strange, almost nervous. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... It looks like they're getting ready to move!"

"You think maybe they're worried about getting caught in the middle of a war?" Harada asked after nodding at my comment. I tilted my head to the side a bit. War? There wasn't a war, was there?

"Oh, you didn't hear? Well, those Choshu bastards are showing up around Kyoto again. That's why we've got extra watches these days. Nagakura explains to me.

"Well, we did give 'em at bit of a bloody nose at Ikedaya. I can't imagine they'll just stand around with some of their guys in the ground." Harada explains, both mean had small frowns on their faces. And soon, one small one had made it on mine. Were the Choshu going to try something again?

The Shinsengumi were doing their best to keep order in Kyoto. In fact, they'd saved the city from the rebellious plans of the Choshu once before, with their victory at the Ikedaya Inn. But even after all they'd done, the people of Kyoto looked at the Shinsengumi with fear and distrust and plenty of them still sided with the Choshu. The Shinsengumi were better regarded now than they had been before Ikedaya, but even so... I told Nagakura as much, but he only laughed.

"Not much we can do about that. Kyoto hates the shogun." Nagakura grinned.

"It doesn't matter anyway. We just do our job. The Choshu attack, we drive 'em back. Simple." Harada then added.

They accepted their situation and never complained. I had a good deal of respect for Harada and Nagakura. "If they don't back off soon, we're probably gonna be getting new orders all the way from the top." Nagakura then said. For the Shinsengumi, the top meant the Aizu Doman, the ones supporting and investing in them.

"It's that serious, huh?" I asked.

Harada gave a bark of a laugh and nodded. "Well, chances like this only come around every so often. Who knows when the next one'll be? You wanna join us?"

"What?!" I exclaimed. JOIN?! Did he mean for me to join the Shinsengumi, and march to war with them? I couldn't imagine joining them would be as simple as saying Yes, please. "Um..." Besides it seemed rather inappropriate for me to ask to participate just so that I might satisfy my curiosity. Still... I did want very much to be helpful in some way.

Could I, perhaps, do something like what I'd done at the Ikedaya Inn...? Even if I could, though, I was terribly frightened of being anywhere near a battle, most likely, ever again. On the other hand, the men who'd been injured at Ikedaya were still out of commission... Including Okita and Heisuke...

"I..." My mind was made up. I looked at Harada and nodded. "I'll stay behind. I don't want Chizuru getting hurt or anything happening to her. She's an airhead." The last thing I wanted was for any of us to be in the way, or for my older twin sister to get hurt. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I let something happen to her.

 **. . . .**

A few days passed...

"Your medicine's ready." I say as I bring in a tray with hot sake and medicine. Chizuru was sitting among everyone else, sipping on a cup of tea. The medicine was Ishida Medicinal Power, which was manufactured by Hijikata's family.

"Give it to Souji and Heisuke." Hijikata told me as I nodded. "...And Sanan, while you're at it."

Sanan's eyebrows rose at the mention of his name." Oh? Do you really think I need this? My injuries have already healed."

"Just give it a shot, Sanan." Okita said with crossed arms and his smirk ever so present. "They say this stuff works on just about anything."

Sanan rolled his eyes, but reached over to take his portion of medicine and sake. He had been telling the truth, though. His injuries had healed, at least as much as they were going to, but his arm still refused to work properly. It was slowly becoming clear that it would probably never work properly again. "Man, that Ishida Powder with hot sake is the best! I'm so jealous of you guys!" Nagakura said with a grin.

"Then why don't you have some? You're still hurt, aren't you?" Heisuke asked. Nagakura had been injured at the Ikedaya Inn, but he'd recently declared that he was completely healed, despite the fact that his wound still looked rather painful. Nonetheless, he continued his normal training, and even when on his rounds every day. I'd heard that he had somehow convinced Hijikata this his wounds were as bad as Heisuke's or Okita's.

"I would never have thought that Toudou or Okita would return from a fight injured..." Inoue-san said.

"That's only because it was so dark in there! It wasn't a fair fight, too, okay?!" Heisuke exclaimed. "He came out of nowhere, and broke my head-guard right in half. But, I do owe one to Chiaki. She helped me a lot, after that bastard left." Heisuke said, smiling at me as he looked my way. I was handing Okita his medicine and sake when he had said that, causing me to blush and look down.

"He split it in half just by punching it? That's pretty damn impressive." Harada said. I think they chose to ignore the last comment, but for some reason, I know they would bring it up later and teas either me, Heisuke, or the both of us about it.

Heisuke muttered something angry and unpleasant under his breath as I walked by and sat beside him, and nudged him, but Harada just laughed. "I heard one of 'em got away from you, Okita." Nagakura said.

Okita only smiled quietly as Nagakura gestured to him. "It won't happen again." He simply said.

Before long, they were all sharing stories of what had happened at the Ikedaya Inn, with their exploits increasing as the sake decreased. Oh boy. Only Saito remained silent. "Um... Is there something brother you, Saito-san?" Chizu-nee asked.

She kept her voice low, so as not to interrupt any of the other men and their conversations. I continued to talk with Heisuke Harada, and Nagakura. They ended up teasing us, and saying how in the end, I ended up saving Heisuke's ass. I merely and weakly smiled as I sipped my tea. I felt the heat to my cheeks burn as Nagakura said something I dared not wish to hear.

"Yeah, Heisuke, when you got hurt, Chiaki rushed in to help you! Pretty damn brave, if I say so myself. One guy came at her and she did pretty well. I swear, if she trained with us, she could get really good. She's got the sharpness and the reflexes."

"Thanks, Nagakura-san."

"Oh, but it was so cute when she dragged your ass out of the Inn, Heisuke. She even ripped on of her sleeves to stop the bleeding, and she was so worried about you~! I could have sworn she looked about ready to cry when she saw her sister strugglin' to get Okita outside!" I blushed a bit when Nagakura teased us. Sort of... at least...

No sooner had Heisuke and Nagakura and Harada's conversation finished, then the door slid open and Kondo appeared. "We've received orders from the Aizu Domain." All the conversations immediately ceased, and all eyes turned towards Kondo. "In preparation for a Choshu attack, the Shinsengumi has been ordered to the front."

A cheer when up from everyone present. "Finally! It's about goddamn time!" Nagakura cheered with the widest grin I have ever seen him wear.

"Too bad for you Heisuke. Can't go and fight if you're injured, can you?" Harada told him slyly.

"What?! C'mon, this is different!" Heisuke exclaimed. He turned to Hijikata, clearly hoping that the vice-commander might give him special leave to go.

"No, it's not. You'll stay here and guard out headquarters." Hijikata said sternly. His tone was as cold and final as a steel door slamming shut.

"Wha... You're a real monster Hijikata, you know that?! A demon!" Heisuke said, he seemed to really want to go... Oh boy, I bet he was really frustrated, and the fact how he was injured probably pissed him off even more.

"Did you just ask me to gut you? Because that's what I heard." Hijikata said. Heisuke's mouth snapped shut. I didn't think Hijikata would actually stab one of his own men, but neither did I think he would go easy on any of them, even if they were injured.

"The injured are a burden, so we shall remain here and guard the compound like obedient soldiers." Sanan's bitter smile had no trace of warmth in it. Heisuke only sighed.

"I guess I'll have to pass, too. I'd like to go, but I'm just not 100 percent yet." Okita sighed as well, with a disappointed face clearly present. He did his best to sound nonchalant, but there was no hiding the bitter disappointment beneath his words.

"Um... I assume I'll be staying here as well?" Chizu-nee asked.

Kondo nodded. "Yes, I'll need you to keep an eye on Souji, Chizuru-san. And you too, on Heisuke, Chiaki-san. I don't want them just moping around like pouty children." Kondo said.

Harada leaned down and whispered something to Heisuke, which caused Heisuke to become red a bit. "Huh?" I asked, "Heisuke, are you getting sick? You're turning red."

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine, Chiaki! I'm fine!

I placed a hand on his cheek, since his forehead was all bandaged up. "You're really warm, too. Are you sure that you're okay?" He simply nodded, and gently swatted my hand from his face as Nagakura-san and Harada-san snickered and laughed at the poor boy, who was flushing red.

 _What did Harada tell him?_

 **. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Before long, the Shinsengumi had left for the front lines, leaving only a handful of soldiers in the silent compound. Even at that though, they all stayed shut up in their rooms. After waving them off, Sanan-san disappeared to wherever he goes, as did Chizuru with Okita. Heisuke and I, on the other hand, watched them go for a bit longer.

"So, I am going to go back to wash the dishes. I'll see you later, Heisuke-kun." I told him with a small smile, before walking away. He seemed to go away as well, going to wherever. And just as I said, I went back to the kitchen where the dishes of the used sake cups, the miniature cups in a tub with some other tea cups and small dishes.

I took the dishes and washed them, before I dried them off and put them away in their respectable places. After having finished with that, I went off to my room that I shared with Chizuru. On the way, I let my hair down, the dark brown- almost black- strands falling to my sides.

I sighed as I found no one in the room. That's right, I thought, Chizuru was with Okita.

So it was just me, Heisuke, Okita, Chizuru, Sanan, and some other soldiers who would spend the whole time locked up in their rooms. On the other hand of this gloomy atmosphere, I was certain Heisuke would be able to stay hung up in his room, so I couldn't help but smile.

Sanan, however, was a different story. I made it my goal to stay away from him as much as possible during my time here, and I wasn't going to let this lone opportunity of peace be ruined by the man's bitter and cold words.

After a while, I got tired of combing my long hair. "...If I were to leave my room now, then I shouldn't get into trouble..." I said to myself. It seemed awfully unlikely that I would bump into one of the rank-and-file soldiers. But even if I did leave, where would I go? I asked myself.

"Oh, right..." I murmured. Kondo had asked me to keep an eye on Heisuke, as Chizuru looked after Okita. "I thought I earlier saw Okita and Chizuru walking in the inner courtyard..." As everyone were walking from the compound, and we had waved them off, he'd mentioned that he wanted to go get some fresh air.

To be honest, I was a little concerned for him. He was still recovering, and being out in the cold air wasn't going to do him any favors in that regard. Still, that left Heisuke and Sanan, and I knew Sanan was fine, he was just being a little b*tch right now...

Also, Chizuru was with Okita, and I know if anything happened to her, that she would be able to take care of it. We had helped our father in the past with his clients. It wouldn't be too different, right?

"Maybe he is in the common room?" I asked myself, getting up, and tying my hair back up as I walked down the corridors. Heisuke had seemed particularly frustrated at being forced to stay behind, and Sanan had been even colder and more distant lately.

I was worried for Okita of course, but I felt there was something... I don't know... deeper affecting Heisuke and Sanan, plus Chizuru was with the man, so it would be fine. I reassured myself, as my thoughts roamed my mind.

I heard Heisuke and someone else talking as I walked down the hall. They were in the common room, then. "Dammit... I wish I was out there right now, you know? Screwing around in this old place is boring!"

"Your injury may not be too serious, but there is no sense in taking unnecessary risks." Sanan comforted. It sounded as if Sanan was actually trying to cheer Heisuke up. How long had it been since I'd heard Sanan say something nice to someone? He'd been a kind man once, I missed that Sanan, even if I didn't know him for too long.

"I mean... Yeah, it still hurts, I know that. And I know it's important to protect out headquarters, but..." Heisuke continued, looking down miserably. I could see him fiddle with his bangs as he talked.

"Well, as soon as you injuries heal, you'll be able to return to the front line." There was a subtle bitterness in Sanan's words that matched his smile, but Heisuke was too distracted to notice. "Far better than being condemned to spend the rest of your life as a pariah such as myself."

Too late, Heisuke had realized what he'd said, and his mouth opened and closed awkwardly once or twice, like a fish gasping for air. It was true then, I realized. Sanan's left arm would never hold a sword again. An awkward silence fell over the room.

I felt it would be rude for me to speak up, having left the inn unharmed on that fateful night, but if I pretended to walk through the room on other nosiness, it would make it clear that I had been eavesdropping...

I had no choice, then. I had to return to my room. As I turned to do so, Sanan's voice stopped me cold. "But perhaps with the right... treatment... I could hold a sword again."

...Treatment? What did he mean by that? Medicine? But he was already taking the Ishida Powder, unless... unless he was talking about something else.

"What?! C'mon, Sanan-san! You aren't really thinking about joining the Corps, are you?!"Heisuke's self-pity disappeared abruptly, and in its place was disbelief, shock, and... Fear?

There it was again. The Corps. Just what were they talking about...? I had heard them mention this "Corps" around the time I first arrived with Chizuru. We had been eating dinner together when we'd received the news of Sanan's injury...

"It doesn't work! Souji and Hajime-kun had to kill then, remember?" Heisuke said. Okita and Saito had to...kill them...? Then, it was true. That night, the one that brought us here, Saito-san and Okita-san had saved us from those ronin and from those insane guys? But what did it have to do with this "Corps"?

"True. It isn't quite complete, but if we can find Kodo-san, then he should be able to provide the assistance we need." Sanan said, with a calm voice. What did Father have to do with this? What did he have to do with their "treatment"?

This was a great deal of information to take in all at once. My mind was a hurricane of thoughts, suspicions, and fears, and try as I might I couldn't manage to collect them. Even as I struggled to make sense of what I'd just heard, I knew that I had stumbled onto something dangerous; something I shouldn't know.

Suddenly, I wanted very much to be gone. Why had I stayed and listened? I was such a fool- "I'm sorry, but I need to ask you not to repeat anything that you've just heard." Sanan's cold, quiet voice filled the empty hall.

I gasped quietly, before clasping my hands to my mouth, to cover it. His eyes were looking directly at me, and into my own set, or pair, of chocolate brown eyes. "Uh...? Yeah, sure Sanan-san, I won't say a thing. But seriously man, you can't do this!" Heisuke had thought Sanan was talking to him? Then he had no idea that I was there, or that I'd heard.

 _Oh thank goodness_. I sighed silently in relief. _If what Sanan had suggested really did happen..._ As silently as I could, I moved away from the common room and down the hall, back to the room I suddenly wished I'd never left in the first place.


	12. Chapter 12

**12**

Heisuke had thought Sanan was talking to him? Then he had no idea that I was there, or that I'd heard. Oh thank goodness. I sighed silently in relief. If what Sanan had suggested really did happen... As silently as could, I moved away from the common room and down the hall, back to the room I suddenly wished I'd never left in the first place.

. . . . .

The Choshu extremists' attempted attack on the imperial estate eventually came to be known as the Hamaguri Rebellion. Although the Shinsengumi were called to action, their efforts were stymied, and they found little in the way of glory. Communication with their superiors had been poor at best, and they spent much of the battle waiting with the reserves.

When the Shinsengumi did finally enter the battle, they found several strange opponents awaiting them: Chikage, Kazama Chikage, the man who had defeated Okita at the Ikedaya, claimed to be from the Satsuma Domain during his encounter with Hijikata. Kyuju, Amagiri Kyuju, the man who had shattered Heisuke's head-guard at the Ikedaya, also claimed membership in the Satsuma. And also, they had met Kyo, Shiranui Kyo, who'd fought alongside men from Choshu...

Whoever they were, it was clear they were not allies of the Shinsengumi. Indeed, it seemed they could easily become some of its greatest enemies. If they were to meet in open battle, the casualties would be severe.

By the time the battle was over, the commanders of the Choshu attack had been killed in the fighting, or had taken their own lives. There were some soldiers, however, who escaped, settling Kyoto ablaze as they fled. By some terrible misfortune, the wind that day blew from the north and fanned the flames, reducing the southern end of the imperial estate to ash. As a result of the Choshu attack, many imperial nationalists were executed.

After everything had been sorted out, the Shinsengumi were at last given permission to patrol outside of Kyoto, from Osaka to Hyogo. No sooner had they been given permission than they set to work, rounding up unruly ronin and defending the public good.

With the Hamaguri Rebellion over, he Choshu were branded as traitors for attacking the estate. From then on, they were acknowledged as enemies of the court (the Choshu).

. . . . . . . .

After breakfast one day, I found myself on my way to the common room with a tray bearing tea, and Chizuru following me close behind. "Tea's ready." I spoke, before opening the sliding door, and walking into the room. I made my way around the room, pouring a cup of tea for each person there, making sure not to spill any.

It was a routine I'd begun to feel accustomed to. "Oh, thank you, Yukimura-kun." Inoue said. He gave me a warm smile as I handed him his tea. "There is nothing quite as delicious as hot tea on a cold day."

"Thank you, Inoue-san." I said with a bright small smile. I felt a flush of pride at his words, even though I knew quite well that serving tea was hardly anything impressive. Just the same, I felt as if I was helping out in a way, and that was a nice feeling.

It had been a year since I'd first come to Kyoto with Chizuru in search of our father. Living with the Shinsengumi wasn't easy, but they'd helped me look for him. It was getting easier for me to live with the Shinsengumi, and being around Heisuke, Harada, and Nagakura was quite fun for me. Chizuru thought so, too. Although, I could tell she missed our father greatly, and that just thinking of him made her more upset.

I on the other hand, was fine. Really, I missed my father, but something about Heisuke always cheer me up kept me from feeling too down in the dumps for too long. Even after a year of searching, however, we hadn't found anything. Sometimes I felt like it was hopeless; like we'd never find him and that I should just give up. But the men of the Shinsengumi never gave up, and neither did Chizuru. They were always there to cheer me on, as well as Chizuru, and keep us going.

I suppose, in a way, I had grown to love living with them. And I'd even been able to repay them for some of their kindness, by helping treat the wounded at the Battle of Ikedaya Inn and during the Hamaguri Rebellion. Little by little, I started to feel like I was accepted; as if perhaps I was beginning to fit in, Chizuru too felt this. As strange as it might sound, I was beginning to feel as if I had found a place with the Shinsengumi.

For some reason, there was this weird feeling growing in me. I felt it every time I was with Heisuke. It was absolutely foreign to me. I felt butterflies, fireworks, explosions in my stomach, and whenever Heisuke and I would accidentally have our hands, or arms, brush up against one another, this tingling feeling was left for a while in its place. I always felt nervous around him, but at the same time I felt as if I could be myself around him.

Then Hijikata spoke, and his words brought me back to the present. "The Yagi have been good to us so far, but this place is getting crowded."

"True, it is getting a little small, especially with all the new guys coming in..." Nagakura said.

"You're going to be getting even more soon, right?" Chizuru asked, as I nodded silently in agreement.

Heisuke was currently in Edo, recruiting more men for the Shinsengumi's ranks. It was always good to have more soldiers, but they were beginning to run out of space at the compound. The rank-and-file soldiers were being packed into smaller and smaller rooms. "If we could move to a bigger place, that'd be great." Nagakura sighed. "The guys are starting to get a little grumpy about being packed together in those rooms every night."

I couldn't exactly offer to share it, but I was starting to feel guilty for having a room of my own, and the only one sharing with me would be my elder twin sister Chizuru. I could tell she thought the same way. "Easy for us to say, but it's gonna be hard to find someone else who's willing to let us stay at their place. You have something in mind?" Okita said.

Hijikata's smile was almost predatory. "The Nishi Hongwanji temple."

"Ahahaha! They aren't gonna like that very much." Okita said, laughing. "You're thinking we'll just force our way in? Guess I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Hijikata-san."

"Um..." Chizuru said. I knew what she was thinking. I didn't leave the compound much, especially not as much as Chizuru, so I still didn't know Kyoto very well. I had no idea what sort of place this Nishi Hongwanji temple was.

"It is pretty big, I'll give you that, but I really don't think the monks are going to take a bunch of soldiers living in their temple." Harada said. "Still the location's great. We'll be able to get out into the city a lot quicker than from out here in Mibu."

At the time, the Shinsengumi's headquarters was in the Mibu area, which was on the outskirts of Kyoto. Harada was right in that the current location made it difficult for the Shinsengumi to reach some parts of Kyoto quickly, which reduced their effectiveness. Still...

"Will they really not want us there?" Chizuru asked, almost as if she knew I would ask the question.

Saito only shrugged. "The Nishi Hongwanji temple has been cooperating with the Choshu. Some of their ronin have stayed there."

"Oh..." If they supported the Choshu, then that would make the Shinsengumi their enemy. Little wonder, then, that they would hardly welcome us with open arms. That meant a whole other level of difficulty. Asking for a place to stay was hard enough, but asking that from an enemy...?

Chizuru fell silent, and Saito continued as if she'd never spoken. "No doubt they will be less than receptive to our overtures. On the other hand, if we should move into the Nishi Hongwanji temple, the Choshu will have one place to hide their agents."

Of course! Not only was the location desirable, but taking the temple would make the enemy's movement more difficult. Whatever problems we had acquiring the temple would likely be worth it.

"You don't think it somewhat...uncouth to use force against men of the cloth?" Sanan asked us, speaking up. There was no hiding his distaste for the idea.

Hijikata's voice was level, but firm as steel. "The Choshu have used the temple to hide their men, and they couldn't have done that without the help of the monks."

"I agree that the Choshu mist be dealt with, but this seems..." His voice trailed off although still clearly upset, there was little more he could say or do.

"I agree with Toshi, but I have to concede that Sanan-san has a point." Kondo said, nodding solemnly, apparently deep in thought.

"Impressive as always, Chief Kondo. Only a man with a truly open mind can be so considerate of both his enemies and his allies." A newer voice said.

"Oh? Well, it's very kind of you to say so, but I fear my behavior is simply imprudent, not open-minded." Kondo responded. He blushed and coughed in an attempt at nonchalance as Hijikata and Okita scowled in silence at the exchange.

The man who had just spoken was Kashitarou Itou, the new deputy commander. He had joined the Shinsengumi only recently. And it seemed as if almost everybody in this room hated him. I honestly didn't know what to think of him, as did Chizuru, and it seemed Kondo seemed fond of him. That just left the rest of them hating and despising Itou.

Kondo had left Heisuke in Edo and returned early with Itou and some of his men who'd come to join the Shinsengumi. He was reputedly a master of the Hokushin Itto sword style and ran a school of his own.

When Itou was introduced to the captains, none of them seemed particularly pleased with his addition to their ranks. No sooner had Itou and Kondo left the room than they began to talk among themselves.

"I've heard this Itou is an imperial nationalist. Why would someone such as him join the Shinsengumi?" Saito said.

"He's like the Choshu, then? Huh. You really think someone like that can get along with us?" Harada asked.

Hijikata grunted and pursed his lips for a moment. "Kondo's a national loyalist. They might not agree on the shogun and the emperor, but they're both nationalists, through and through." They could disagree about who should run the country, but neither of them wanted a foreign nation exerting its control over their country. "Besides, Kondo's a loyalist without a doubt, but he has a few imperialist tendencies of his own."

Perhaps the different factions weren't quite so staunchly divided as they might appear. Would Kondo and Shinsengumi work for a future where the shogunate controlled the country, but the emperor was still treated with respect? That seemed like a solution that could make everyone happy.

If that was the case... then Kondo's version of national loyalism was a wonderful thing. "I figured the only one of us who'd be very happy about Itou showing up would be Sanan, right?" Nagakura asked.

"True, they do both practice Itto, right?" Harada piped in.

"He knows Itou too, doesn't he? And Sanan is a bit of a loyalist..." Nagakura added.

I wouldn't have guessed that Sanan and Itou had so much in common. His expression didn't suggest that he was particularly happy, though. "Yes, I have met Itou. He is well-educated, and a skilled orator." Sanan told us. "With such a gifted deputy commander, I suppose that the Shinsengumi has little need for a colonel."

Sanan's words hung in the air, heavy and awkward. I didn't understand the ranks of the Shinsengumi, but as far as I could tell, a deputy commander outranked a colonel. "With Itou here, there is very little left for me to do." Sanan said. I hadn't even thought of it that way... Sanan felt that Itou was a threat to his own position.

An awkward silence fell across the room. "So? I don't like him." Okita said, with a frown adorning his face, just like the rest of them. Okita was the first to speak.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Harada said. "There's something about the way he looks at you..."

"Exactly!" Nagakura exclaimed. "I dunno how to put it... like he's sort of... uppity, you know? Like he's looking down on you or something."

"You mean, he's stuck up?" I asked, entering the conversation. He looked at us, Chizuru and I, that way too. At first, when we all met him, he was surprised to see us, with the captains, and to see how well we were treated.

"Yeah!" There was a good deal of nodding and agreeing among with three of them for a few moments while I sat with Chizuru and thought. Truth be told. I didn't feel particularly comfortable around Deputy Commander Itou, either. I could tell Chizuru felt the same.

It wasn't that he was a bad person, per se, only that he was... How to say it... Off-putting? Itou could be very peculiar person... When Kondo and Itou left the room earlier chatting together as if nothing was wrong, when Itou earlier insulted Sanan.

Silently, Sanan made his way out of the room wordlessly. Harada and Nagakura talked with Chizuru how much Sanan had changed and how a lot of men avoided him as much as possible. I wasn't too surprised. I mean, that's exactly what I did.

I just couldn't wait until Heisuke came back, it was getting terribly boring and I needed someone to comfort me like he did. He always smiled for me, or at least tried to at times, and he always made me feel good about myself. He made me feel as if everything in the world would be okay with him.

What was this?


	13. Chapter 13

**13**

 **A/N** **: I'M BACK EVERYONE! I got my grades back to A's, so no need to worry any further. I presume it is a holiday in the states. It's called thanksgiving! Well, happy feasting! Enjoy the holiday while it lasts! Back to the story! Enjoy!**

I really hoped Heisuke would come back soon. I really did. He always made me smile, and he always made sure I was happy. He was a really great friend, after all, but...

Was there, something else I felt for him? Could it be, that Heisuke made me feel the emotion of Love and Affection, on a whole different level?

 _No of course not,_ I chastised myself, looking down. _He was only being kind to me, being friendly. It's only because of my current situation he is acting as a friend to me..._

 _Even so... I don't mind it..._

The setting sun glowed through the windows with a warm, rich red, and we decided to move outside, in the hope that it might raise our spirits. Chizuru stuck close to my side. "It's cold..." Chizuru mumbled, rubbing her hands over her arms to try and warm herself up. I nodded in silent agreement as the cool breeze flowed past us.

Despite the sun, t seemed that spring was still far away. I knew both Chizuru and I weren't too fond of Itou, but it was Sanan and his condition that truly worried us. "I really wish his arm would just heal." Chizuru mumbled, looking down for a split second.

That arm, or perhaps more accurately the lack of it, had been the source of his change in personality. Still, though, as nice as it would be for Sanan's arm to simply start working again, that seemed like the stuff of a child's fable, not real life. That was when I remembered...

 _"If push comes to shove, he'll have to take it. I don't think Sanan's just going to give up."_ Okita had said once.

 _"Souji, don't jinx him. It's gonna look bad if officers start joining the Corps."_ Nagakura had scolded after hearing Okita's words escape his lips.

The Shinsengumi had some sort of...something. I didn't know what it did, exactly, or even what sort of thing it was, but from the way they all talked about it, there were some manner of very unpleasant side effects.

No, wait, I think I do remember something... Yes... From what I heard, it seemed that it has the capacity to heal wounds, and had something to do with the "Corps." And it's also something I am not supposed to know about.

I glanced down from the setting sun filled sky, towards Chizuru sneakily, to see she was oblivious to the things I had pieced together. Good, I sighed silently in relief, she doesn't need to know about these things. There's already a lot on her plate for worries and things to think about. Plus, she gets nosy, and will obviously do something stupid just to figure it out and satisfy her curiosity.

If they learned how much I'd picked up, or what I'd put together on my own, I had no doubt that I would be in serious trouble. It was possible that they would even kill me. Still, if I could figure any of it out, perhaps I could do something to help...

I am the daughter of a well-educated doctor, after all! I liked to think that I had a little more knowledge of medicine than the average person. The question remained, then, what should I do? Either investigate, or return and stay in my room with a depressed and clueless Chizuru.

 ** _I'll investigate._**

"Where are you going?" Chizuru asked me, curiously.

"Fresh air. Just go back to your room, Chizu-nee." I replied with a small smile. She merely nodded.

Night had almost fallen, so I decided to investigate. Now where should I start? My room was in the Yagi house, which was where the captains lived. It had taken me a while, but I had finally managed to figure how to navigate the building.

Even so, there were plenty of rooms I didn't dare go near, such as Hijikata's. There's the Maekawa house, too. On the other side of the grounds was the Maekawa house, which was were the soldiers stayed, generally several to a room. I rarely went there, so it was largely unknown to me.

"Hm..." I hummed, deep in thought. If I was going to start looking around... "I should go to the Maekawa house, or the places in the Yagi house that I haven't been to before..." I whispered to myself.

It was nighttime at the Yagi house, and completely silent. I felt a little guilty for sneaking around, so I tip-toed down the halls as quietly as possible. "Huh?" I barely audibly hummed. Had my ears been playing tricks on me, or had someone just walked into the common room?

I would be in trouble if someone saw me, so I did my best to blend into the shadows and hide. After a few moments of heart-pounding seclusion, my curiosity got the best of me. I departed my hiding place, and crept toward the common room.

Inside was Sanan.

Something felt...wrong. I was at a loss. Should I speak to him, or...? Before I could make up my mind, he turned-

"I never thought that it would be you who would catch me. How unexpected." even so, he didn't looked too shocked by it all. I kept silent, staring at him questioningly. I had no idea what he meant, but his expression had caught me off guard.

He had a peaceful smile; something I hadn't seen on his face for... I don't know how long. It was a bit _too_ peaceful, as if all his worries had suddenly left him. "Sanan-san...?" I was wary of the moments to come. What is going on?

The moonlight glinted momentarily off of something in his hand. "You're wondering what this is, I imagine?" He asked me, when he caught sight of me glancing at the vile in his hand. He held it up as he spoke. It was a tiny glass bottle, filled with a crimson liquid that looked to me like either poison, or blood. "This is a secret treatment developed by your father, Kodo-san, under orders from the shogunate."

"What...?" I took a stumbling step back as I stared in horror with wide eyes at the vile, then to Sanan. The shogunate ordered my father to do something?

"They say it first appeared in the west. The contents of this tiny vial can utterly transform a person." Sanan calmly continued. This was all too much. Even so, the curiosity I shared with my sister was taking control.

"What do you mean by... utterly transform?" I asked, warily. I took the slight step forward I had taken back, and glanced suspiciously at the vile.

"To put it simply, it makes them stronger, and heightens their recuperative abilities." I froze. What? If that was true, then... "There is, however, a rather serious flaw." Sanan continued. Why was he explaining this to me? His smile twisted only a little. "It was... I suppose you could say it was too strong. It worked as advertised, but drove those who benefited from it mad. You and your sister have seen the results yourself, haven't you?"

"Ah!" I gasped. Of course, it all made sense now! I hadn't seen, since Chizuru had covered my eyes then, but I definitely witnessed by sound of the madness the night I first met the Shinsengumi.

"Yes, I see that you understand." Sanan said. His eyes thinned, and he seemed almost pleased. "They were no longer capable of what one might call rational thought, and were little more than bloodthirsty monsters."

"How horrible..." I had whispered, unconsciously. What had happened to the soldiers I'd witnessed was terrible, but what pressed most heavily on my mind was a single question: Even if it were on orders from the shogun, why had my father been involved in such an awful thing?

I struggled to process it, but Sanan only kept talking. "If they lose control whenever they see blood, then they're hardly mush use in battle, are they? No matter how powerful or unlikeable they may be. Kodo conducted experiments on the Corps during development of his treatment."

"No-!" I suddenly blurted. My father? Conducting experiments- on human beings! - That made men go made at the sight of blood?! I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it! I tried to speak, but my chest had grown so tight I could scarcely breathe. Sanan either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Unfortunately, when he disappeared, his research was put on hold." He paused. "...This vial here represents the fruits of my own personal research, based on what he left behind." He held up the vial again. He gave me a small smile and shook the bottle gently. The liquid inside sloshed side to side, almost lazily. "I've diluted it as much as possible."

I had so many questions to ask him, but I didn't even know where to start, so I simply spoke the first that came to mind. "If you drink that... will you be okay? It won't... make you go crazy?" His brows knit for a moment.

"To be quite honest, I'm not entirely sure. I've never tested it on anyone." Although, human testing was hardly something I would have condoned, it was clear that he had very little idea what the concoction might actually _do_ to him. His smile faded. "If I take this, my arm will heal. That it, of course, assuming I've mixed it correctly."

I dared not to ask what was to happen if he did not mix it correctly. No I was more concerned about the first part of his statement. "Y-You mean you're actually considering taking it?!" I was shocked, surprised. Why, when the chances were so slim? Was he really that desperate? He had no guarantee that it wouldn't simply kill him outright, and even if he did survive, it might well drive him insane. "You don't need to do that!" The words were flying out of my mouth before I got to register them.

A substance that could turn one into a bloodthirsty monster was dangerous enough, but a new version of that substance unfinished-! "I have no choice! This is the only way to heal this damned arm!" Sanan exploded with anger. I flinched, cowering a bit back. I hated the sounds of yelling. Ever since I was little. "I'm already useless here. Even the men have begun to speak ill of me behind my back."

"That isn't true!" I said, trying to convince him to not take the vial. "You're a kind man, Sanan-san! Everyone loves you!" Even though he'd been depressed, none of the captains avoided Sanan, or tried to exclude him. They were his friends, and they were just waiting for him to get back on his feet. "How could you ever think that you're useless to them?! You should never think that!"

"There is no life for me as a swordsman. You would ask me to continue in some sort of undeath..." He countered. His smile was cold, and perhaps a little sad. "Let me die as a person as well." I gasped.

"No-!" But it was too late. Strained with emotion, my voice broke as I cried out. Sanan looked at me and sighed.

"What special concern is it of yours? Leave me be." Still, I felt his tone soften despite his words, and he gave me a smile that could have been plucked from the days before his wound, when I'd first met him. "If I succeed, then my arm will be repaired. The odds against success aren't as terrible as you think." He was doing his best to tell me not to worry, but... If he has made a mistake mixing the compounds, or his research was flawed somehow... There was no way to know what might happen to him.

I couldn't sit by and allow him to do this. Sanan had come to hate himself for being unable to fight alongside his comrades and friends. Even if they forgive him, he could never forgive himself. "But..."

"I doubt you can understand." He said to me grimly. Was it the sort of thing only a fellow swordsman could comprehend, then? How could I convince him to listen to me? If I couldn't, then perhaps there was someone else who could! I knew Okita was out patrolling the courtyards at this time of night, so he would definitely hear me.

I screamed as loud as my body would let me, my voice echoing down the halls and across the courtyards of the compound. But even as I cried out- Sanan drew his head back and drained the vial in a single draught. "No!"

With the soft clink of glass, the now empty vial rolled from Sanan's palm to the floor of the common room. I didn't know if the single heartbeat I heard was mine, or his. There was a moment of silence. Then, without warning, Sanan screamed in agony and collapsed to the floor, his hands clawing mindlessly at his face.

Something triggered in me, and I covered my hands over my ears. I was going into a shock-like-state. It happened whenever someone was loud enough or screamed loud enough. Since I was younger, I had been traumatized from a certain event I couldn't remember. All that plagued me though, were the screams of agony and terror and the yells of men and commands.

I fell to my knees and clutched my hair and ears with my fingers tight. I closed my eyes tightly, shaking and letting a few tears slip as the memories and sounds of innocent people screaming for their lives, for their burning homes. Images of fire flew through my mind. The sound of men commanding soldiers and the sounds of the screams of pain from the injured plagued my ears.

"Make it stop! Make it stop! Onee-san!" I whimpered, falling to my side and crumpling up into a ball as Sanan riddled in pain, his screams of painful anguish and agony too much for me to bear alongside the memories of the plaguing traumatic past only father knew about, but never told the full details to me and Chizuru.

His hair began to turn white, and eyes red, but I was currently too occupied with my anxiety attack to pay too much mind to my surroundings. Behind my shaking, and cowering body on the floor in a crumpled ball, I heard the door slide open. "Okita...you..." Sanan said. Okita looked down at me shocked a bit at my current weak state.

He was probably wondering what happened to me. I was trembling, shaking, and the tears had long since faded, but my eyes were still clutched shut. "Good evening, Sanan-san. Thanks for the heads-up, Chiaki. Hey, get up..." He said, hoping I would snap out of it.

When I looked up at Okita, started to weakly and shakily get up, I noticed his face was pale and tight; his mouth a thin line against a set jaw. He forced it into an attempt at a grin, but there was more pain in his smile than humor.

"Don't worry. I'll help you die." I froze, my knees still weak, but I was gaining myself from that anxiety attack. ...What? In a smooth, deliberate motion, Okita laid his hand on the hilt of his sword, his fingers curling delicately around it, one by one.

I shook still, but I watched silently. I didn't want to interrupt. I might have finally figured everything out, but that still didn't mean I was a part of this. I wasn't a part of the Shinsengumi. I was only a captive guest, who was helping them search for my father.

Sanan screamed in pain again, causing me to flinch once more, but I tried to zone it out, keeping my hands over my ears. Sanan's white hair shook as his body writhed in pain. I clutched my eyes closed, stepping and stumbling back away from them.

Okita's feet shifted into a fighting stance, and his grip tightened on his blade. All I could see was Okita's back. Then there was something red. It looked like blood. I wondered what Okita's face looked like at that moment, but only the person who crumpled silently to the floor knew.

Sanan! Blood had already begun to puddle beneath him, spread across the floor like a deep red tide. I'd barely taken a step when Okita's arm appeared in front of me. "Stay away from him." His cold as steel voice muttered. I stayed silent. "I hurt him pretty bad, but I dunno what the shit did to him. He might still be able to attack you. What I did to him isn't enough to kill him, not after he drank that stuff. He's not gonna die."

I felt relief wash over me, as I sank, exhausted, to the floor, behind Okita who was still on guard. Sanan fainted. Woken by my voice, several of the captains burst into the room, along with Chizuru. I was still shaking from my anxiety attack not too long ago, and Chizuru immediately notice.

She ran to me, engulfing me into a hug. "Was it another anxiety attack?" She asked, motherly-like. I barely nodded. Some of them looked at us curiously, probably wondering, what? What anxiety attack? Although, I was too focused on trying to calm myself down.

They all began to talk at once, but I didn't heard them. I was so tired, and so much had happened. If I could just lay down... When I woke, I found myself back in my room, with Okita and Chizuru sitting across from me.

"You two can really be a pain, you know that?" He asked, while Chizuru dash over to me.

I looked down. I was really guilty about all of this. I knew I shouldn't have been out this late, and that I shouldn't have even been out of my room at all, but even so, no matter what I did, the same result would have happened to Sanan.

"I'm sorry." I exclaimed, as I bowed down. He sighed, and I raised back to my sitting position once again. I was still, however, looking down, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"How about you explain what was going on last night? Why were you in there with Sanan?" Okita had never been particularly pleasant to me or my sister, but his tone was even harsher than what I had grown accustomed to.

"I felt like there was someone in the common room. I heard something too. I was curious, so I had a look. I found Sanan in there." Okita narrowed his eyes but said nothing. "Um..." Although my mind had cleared somewhat, it was still difficult to keep my thought organized. One, however, rose quickly to the surface. "Is it true that my father had something to do with that... that stuff that Sanan drank?" Chizuru gasped.

"Did Sanan-san tell you that?" Okita asked with a frown. I merely nodded. His voice was even colder. What point was there to lying now?

"He said it makes you stronger, but it drives you mad." I recalled numbly. For some reason, I was scared, wasn't afraid. I was numb, emotionless. My voice was blank, soft, but numb, just like the rest of my body. Okita looked at me for a while longer, his eyes searching me for... something.

At last, he sighed, and I saw his shoulders relax. "You are the daughter of the man who made that stuff, and you've seen what happens to the men who go crazy. I suppose you do have a right to know. It'd be easier to just kill you, but... ah well." I was fazed by the comment about killing us, unlike Chizuru who flinched. He was excepting me t flinch, too, but I didn't respond. I was too numb and emotionless right now to respond too much. I wonder how long this numbness would last.

I sort of enjoyed it.

"...So you two got any questions? I supposed I can answer one." I had already heard enough from Sanan, so I let Chizuru asked the questions and learn more. I ignored them, and went to the corner, while they discussed the matter.

I untied my hair and brushed through it with my fingers, still feeling numb and empty. However, I did feel the slight spark of rage, or hatred towards my own father. Unlike Chizuru, who would blindly accept any flaw of our father because she loved him oh so dearly, I however, was unable, not capable, of forgiving so easily…

After all we've been through. I realized, if he wanted to, he could have took us with him when he disappeared. He knew we would be worried but he didn't care. I glared at the floor as I thought about all of this. Searching for him was a waste. Worrying about him was a waste. It was useless. He didn't want to be found, and maybe, I didn't want to find him.


	14. Chapter 14

At long last, after a long explanation from Okita to Chizuru, and of me being numb, morning came. I was still numb, but I could at least feel the atmosphere around me again. I sighed as both Chizuru and I were escorted by your favorite sadist, Okita Souji, to the common room.

One by one, the captains returned to the common room, tired and bleary-eyed from their long night. I actually felt kind of bad. Maybe I should've just kept quiet and let him kill me... I thought, as the scenario of what couldn't happen played through in my head.

No, I couldn't do that to Chizuru. She's already had a hard time as it is adjusting to this new life, and now that the information about our father being connected to the Shinsengumi is out for us to know, she's going to need me.

It was Inoue's entrance that broke the silence. "He seems to have made it through the hardest part," Inoue-san said. The room breathed out a sigh of relief. Even Chizuru. I didn't, though. I was as blank as a rock and emotionless as, well, as I could get, being numb. "He's still asleep. Looks pretty peaceful..."

"So has Sannan gone crazy?" Nagakura asked the question nearly everyone wanted to know the answer to. Inoue simply shook his head.

"We don't know for sure until he wakes up, but he looks just like he always has," Inoue answered. That was when the door slid open.

"Good morning everyone," Itou-san said, stepping in. The tension had relaxed at Inoue's entrance pulled tight as a drum. At least, I thought, they don't do this when Chizuru or I just walk into the room. Then I realized I was comparing myself to Itou, and wondered why on Earth I would do something like that. I mean, that's what Chizuru is probably thinking...

"My, my... You all look rather glum. Something to do with last night's excitement, I presume?" Itou asked. His position wasn't just the result of politics, then. There would be no simply ignoring the incident, it appeared.

I turned my head away from everyone and sighed silently. I just couldn't hold it in. "Uh... No, um..." Kondo-san stuttered. Desperately, Kondo's eyes flew around the room, looking for someone who might give him a story.

"Sano! Make something up!" Nagakura whispered to Harada.

"What?! Me?!" Harada whispered back. "Uh, well... you see, yesterday-" He was cut off by none other than Okita.

"You're a miserable actor. Stay out of this." Okita said simply to the two idiots. I sighed a little more audibly. Okita's smile was bitter and thin. They sat back down. "How about you leave the explanation to someone who can string two words together, hm?" He looked at Saito expectantly, and the other man nodded once.

"As you suspect, Deputy Commander Itou, there was an incident yesterday here at our headquarters." Saito started. Furthermore, he continued, the situation was grim. Saito then proceeded to outline as much of the truth as he could, his eyes never wavering from Itou's face. "We did not wish to trouble you with such matters just yet, Deputy Commander." By way of his apology, he made a short bow. "If you wish, I would be happy to provide you with a more detailed report this afternoon."

"Oh, my..." Itou started. Itou's eyes narrowed and he looked slowly around the hall, a mischievous smile playing about his lips. "Very well. I comprehend your situation. I shall look forward to receiving the details this evening." With another strange smile, Itou stood, nodded slightly, and left the room.

"Feels like he let it slide this time... Maybe he just liked how Saito handled it." Okita mused.

"What... ?" Chizuru blurted softly, obviously confused. I was, too, but I didn't show it. They'd explain if they wanted to. Yes, Saito had been respectful and- at least on the surface- forthcoming, both of which had likely pleased Itou, but...

What had he meant about letting it "slide" ?

"We shouldn't have let him see all of us together." Hijikata sighed. I looked at him blankly, while Chizuru gave him a confused gaze. "The only man missing was Sanan. It won't take Itou long to realize something's happened to him."

"Oh..." Chizuru mumbled softly. Then Itou had likely guessed at what had taken place but decided not to press the issue. I was beginning to see what Kondo saw in him, although I wouldn't admit it verbally. There was certainly no doubt that he was clever and observant.

"Ah!" Chizuru gasped, as the sliding door opened and Sanan appeared. I had looked up in time to see Sanan shuffle through the door. His face was pale, but apart from that, he looked much like he always had.

"Sanan-san! ...Are you sure you should be up and about?" Inoue-san asked him, concerned.

Sanan's only response was a small, sad smile. "I'm a little tired. A side effect of my new... condition, I suppose. Those who've taken the drought often find that working during the daylight hours is especially taxing." In other words, it was working. Sannan was already transformed. "I am no longer a human being." He smiled.

"Who cares what you are- you're alive!" Kondo exclaimed happily. "That's good enough for me!" I could see the beginnings of tears well up in Kondo's eyes, but the rest of the men were more reserved. They were happy to see their friend alive, but what had his resurrection cost him?

"So... your arm's better. I'm guessing?" Okita asked.

"I haven't fully recovered yet, so I would withhold any final judgment, but..." Sanan trailed off. He lifted his left arm, the arm that the day before had hung limp at his side, and flexed his hand. "...It seems to have been healed. At the very least, it is no longer a hindrance."

Thank goodness. If he had gone through all of that, just to find his arm still lame and useless... Oh god knows what would happen. "You can't go out in the sun, though, right?" Harada asked. "Will you still be able to fight with us?"

If daylight drained one's energy, then living a normal life would be difficult enough, never mind fighting alongside the Shinsengumi. "Best you simply said I died," Sanan said. His voice was calm, almost careless. "From now on, I will serve in the Corps, to remind them, and us of the success in the Water of Life."

Sanan-san had just suggested telling everyone he was dead since he couldn't fight in daylight and his arm was suddenly- and miraculously- healed.

"What? Have you lost your mind?!" Nagakura exclaimed. "Do you know what you're saying?!"

"Of course I do. Do you, Nagakura?" Sanan countered. "The shogun had ordered us to keep this thing a secret." Nagakura fell silent. "If I, ah, die, the shogun's secret remains so." Leaving no room for argument, he continued. "Besides, if the side effects can be managed, or even removed, then what reason do we have not to use it?"

To a man, they were against his idea, though none of them said anything. Who would want to consign a friend to a life of secrecy, lived in the shadows? Sanan-san, obviously... "We were given this task by the shogun himself..." Kondo started.

Sanan's suggestion might not have been pleasant, but it was logical. The drug was dangerous, yes, but if it could be refined; the side effects removed... It would be a powerful tool. A powerful weapon.

"I suppose this is our only choice." Kondo sighed. And with his word, it was decided.

"Well, this is what you asked for, Sanan-san. Make sure you don't screw it up." Okita said. It wasn't exactly a vote of confidence, but Sana-san simply responded with a smile.

"This means moving to a new location isn't something we can put off any longer." Hijikata sighed. "If we're going to hide Sanan-san from Itou and his men, then we need more space. This place won't cut it."

Saito nodded. "If we intend to begin research again, then a move is even more urgent." Sanan's fate decided, they turned to a discussion of where they might make their new headquarters.

...

Whatever my status was, it did not extend to being included in that discussion. Living with the Shinsengumi for the past year had been quite an experience. Lately, I'd felt that perhaps, it wasn't so bad, and my life had become almost... fun.

But I had blinded myself to the truth, like Chizuru. The truth I couldn't escape was that I was only valuable to them because of my connection to my father; a truth they had made painfully clear to me. I looked down, at my hands.

These men had lived with one another for years. My own time with them amounted to little more than a drop in the bucket. They had no reason to treat me as anything more than a casual prisoner, or at best a serving girl.

I'd reminded myself of that countless times, but it only served to deepen my sense of loneliness. It also didn't help my feelings of belonging with Heisuke and I getting along so perfectly, and also the mysterious and weird feelings I got around the said boy.


	15. Chapter 15

May 1865

It had been three months since we'd moved the headquarters of the Shinsengumi to Nishi Hongwanji temple. There's a lot more room, but... More room meant, well, farther to walk.

I'd walked through it nearly every day for several weeks, and I was finally beginning to learn my way around. Chizuru took a little more time than I, but eventually, we learned how to navigate our way through this new place.

Currently, I was walking around, with nothing much to do. As I turned a corner near the back of the compound, I caught sight of someone sitting in the shadows. "There you are, Sanan-san. Your food's ready." Chizuru had said, as he came out slightly.

"Oh, hello. Thank you." The snow had disappeared, the cherry blossoms had bloomed and fled, and now the swallows and the heat had come. Sannan and Chizuru exchanged a pair of smiles, while I watched. I held out my hand to let the breeze brush across them.

"It's really gotten warm lately," I said, as I approached the two.

"Yes, it has. Unfortunately, the heat and the sunlight aren't particularly pleasant for me." Sanan-san said, with a slight smile.

"Really...?" Chizuru and I asked. I hadn't thought the sun was particularly strong that day, but to Sanan-san, who had to hide in the shadows or stay indoors during the day, it must have seemed unbearable.

The night he'd...changed... Sanan-san's hair had turned white, and his eyes had been a thirst for blood. But to look at his peaceful smile now, it was hard to imagine that night had even been real. If someone had taken me aside and said it was all a bad dream, I would have believed them. Except for the part where I had a panic attack from the loud ruckus that occurred that night.

No one has questioned me about it either. My guess is that they- hopefully- didn't realize my current position at that time, being too concerned about Sanan-san. Although, I think Okita has noticed but has decided to keep his mouth shut, respecting at least some of my mysterious past's privacy.

It hadn't been a dream, though, and now Sanan spends his days avoiding being seen and hiding from the sunlight. The Shinsengumi's greatest secret. "...Here it is." I heard Chizuru mutter from beside me.

For just a moment, the sun lit on Sanan-san's hair. I don't know if it was a trick of the light or simply my mind being foolish, but in that moment, his hair was a brilliant white, like the snow during the winters in Kyoto.

"Ah!" Chizuru exclaimed from beside me.

I kept my gaze calm. I was more confused than surprised, really. If you asked me, the white hair didn't suit him. I don't think white hair suits anybody.

"Is something the matter? You look as though you've seen a ghost, which I hardly feel is polite." Sanan-san asked Chizuru, as he noticed the look on her face and the reaction. He seemed oblivious to what the two of us had just seen.

"Oh! N-no! Nothing at all!" Chizuru said. He looked perfectly normal now, of course. Surely, I thought, we must have simply imagined it. Even If I had, there was no denying that he was the same man who had gone mad with bloodlust. It was a bit unnerving if you asked me. I could tell Chizu-chan felt the same.

. . . . The Next Day . . . .

Heisuke and I made our way through the crowded-as-usual streets of Kyoto at a brisk pace I had gotten used to. "You know, I haven't gone out on patrol with you in quite a while, Heisuke," I commented from beside him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess not. Edo had me pretty busy." He said, before grinning. "Shinpachi-san and Sano-san didn't bug you while I was gone, did they?"

"No, they were perfect gentlemen. I'm fine." I reassured the boy with a smile. I couldn't manage to suppress a short giggle. "They look out for me and Chizuru when we're out on patrol, but I still haven't found any information about my father, though... Neither has Chizu-nee."

"Yeah, I stopped by your place in Edo after you told me where to find it, but... uh..." He trailed off. He couldn't seem to find the words he was looking for, and instead just kicked at a clump of dirt in frustration.

"Oh... Well, thank you for taking the time to look anyway." I said, thanking him for the help.

Heisuke looked up in time to see my face fall and gave me a good-natured pat on the shoulder. "C'mon, cheer up, Chiaki! Who knows? He might just pop up someday!"

"You're right. Besides, you're all helping Chizuru and I look, so I've got to find him sooner or later. But what about you? You haven't been back to Kyoto in a while..."

"Hm. Well, I sort of feel like the town has changed. So have the people." He said, describing how it felt for him, after coming back.

"Heisuke...?" The smile he'd put on to cheer me up a moment ago was gone. Nostalgia and melancholy weren't like him. It was, something different for me to see.

"Hm...?" Heisuke's head jerked up a fraction of a degree, and he looked across the street. He stood on his toes and waved.

"Hey! Souji! Find anything over there?"

"Nope. Everything's normal." Okita said and he and Chizuru came walking up to us, on their rounds as well. Okita was out on patrol as well, although his route took him and Chizuru through a different part of the city than ours. He gave me a short nod of acknowledgment, then looked back towards Heisuke with a snicker. Huh?

Chizuru and I had caught this, and we were both confused. "Well, normal for now, at least. I'm sure things'll pick up once the shogun gets here." Okita said.

"The Shogun's coming to visit Kyoto?" Chizuru asked.

"Yep. It's got Kondo all worked up, too." Okita nodded. If the shogun was visiting, that was a chance for the Shinsengumi to be noticed. Kondo's reaction to that possibility was easy to imagine. I giggled along with Chizuru.

"Oh yeah? ...Yeah, I bet he is..." Heisuke, though, didn't look or respond as pleased as I had thought. That didn't seem like Heisuke. Had something happened that I didn't know about? I inched closer to him and poked him.

He looked back at me, in questioning, and I smiled at him but gave him a concerned and curious gaze. He nodded, silently telling me he would explain at a later date. I sighed but nodded anyways. Chizuru and Okita were busy talking, but I noticed their glances at us.

I looked over again at Okita, to find him bent over, coughing, and Chizuru bending down to see if he was alright. His face was tight with pain, and his coughing was getting worse. He glanced up, but his gaze swept past us and across the street.

His eyes narrowed at something behind me and I turned in time to see a ronin stumble backward. "Whoa, whoa! Wadda ya mean, 'no'?!" He held the woman's wrist firmly, and she didn't look too pleased.

"Stop it! Let go of me!"

"We're patriots, fightin' every day to kick those damn foreigners out of our country! The least you can do is give us a little booze! Or maybe even, heh, a little... company...?"

Across the street, a clump of men- perhaps three or four- were harassing a young girl. I didn't know what they were up to, but it didn't look pleasant. "We have to help her!" Chizuru exclaimed with me nodding in agreement. I felt Heisuke tense up next to me, as he reached for his blade, as did I.

"I know! Stay here, Chiaki, Chizuru-!" Before he could finish, a flash of blue cloth shot past us, toward the dangerous knot of men.

"Well well well. Guess being a patriot doesn't mean what it used to if we've got men like you throwing it around." Okita said to the men, with his arms crossed. The usual crowds shuffled away from Okita and the men as quickly as they could. None of them wanted to be nearby once words were put away and swords unsheathed.

The ronin's eyes found Okita's jacket, and the men all stiffened. "You... You're one of those Shinsengumi fellas, ain't ya!"

"Ah, you must be the brains. So tell me chief, what's it gonna be?" Okita asked, uncrossing his arms, and resting his hand on the sheath of his katana, and his other hand on the handle, sliding the blade out just an inch. His lips curled back into a predatory smile. There was no mirth in that rictus grin, and the ronin's faces abruptly grew several shades paler.

They were only somewhat deflated, however- not entirely punctured- and their ringleader made one more attempt. "Goddammit. Get outta here, ya brown-nosing son of a bitch!"

Heisuke walked over to Okita, hand on his katana as well. "Shut up. If you really wanna live, maybe you should follow your own advice." Chizuru and I walked over to the girl. I had my hand on my katana as well.

During the time I had been living with the Shinsengumi, the other captains had been helping me train and improve my skills with my katana. So, you could say, I could be able to handle myself right now if these guys were to come at us.

The sight of two of the Shinsengumi's notorious blue jackets standing shoulder to shoulder was apparently enough of an argument for the ronin. The last of the color drained from their faces, and they turned tail and ran.

The three of us let go of our weapon's handles and turned towards Chizuru and the girl.

"You aren't going after them? Arrest them?" Chizuru asked.

"And charge them with which crime, exactly? Didn't figure you for the iron fist sort." Okita said, before adding, "I could see Chiaki here that type about protecting you, but other than that, I would see Chiaki more of the pacifist type." I glared at him, but he ignored it. Heisuke pats me on the shoulder, with a small grin.

I sighed and shook my head, closing my eyes and looking down for a bit. Chizuru was quiet for a moment. He was right, of course. They'd had crime on their minds certainly, but they hadn't actually committed one.

"I-Iron fist...?" Chizuru asked, embarrassed, flushing red slightly.

"What are you so worked up about? ...Ah, never mind. Forget about it." Heisuke grumbled at the end. I giggled, and leaned into his side, as he smiled again and playfully rested his arm around my shoulders, with a grin.

"Um... My name is Kaoru Nagumo. Thank you for saving me." Kaoru said. Something inside of me suddenly clicked for a bit. Kaoru... why did that name sound so familiar? I, however, was the only one who felt that way, as Chizuru didn't look to have any sort of reaction.

I watched as the girl gave Okita a quick bow. She was so refined; so lady-like. Even dressed like a girl, I doubted I could ever be as elegant as her. I saw Chizuru look down for a bit before Okita grabbed her arm and mine.

"Whoa! O-Okita-san?!" Chizuru exclaimed. I kind of got what he was doing, as he moved us towards Kaoru. I looked at her, and she looked down slightly at me, and recognition flickered in her eyes. She smiled at me, before looking back at the two boys in front of us.

"U-Um... Okita-san?" Chizuru asked expecting an answer to his weird sudden behavior. I glanced toward Chizuru as she glanced at Kaoru, and gave both my best attempt at an actual smile. The smile she gave us in return was beautiful, but there was something about it that seemed, I don't know... odd?

"Just as I thought. They look just like each other... Chiaki more than Chizuru, but still, a resemblance in all three..." Okita muttered. He seemed to be talking more to himself, but as soon as the words left his mouth, I realized what had seemed odd to me. Heisuke looked just as lost as Chizuru.

"We look alike?" I asked. Kaoru looked at me and then Chizuru, but then me again. No, no. It was more than that. We were too much alike. It was almost as if I were looking into a mirror, but a mirror with a will of its own, and wearing much better clothes than Chizuru's and my guy's clothes.

The longer I looked at her, the more uncomfortable I felt. Especially when Kaoru, the girl, seemed to give off this air of familiarity to both Chizuru and I. Although, I doubt Chizuru noticed that weird and specific air, being kind of the dense girl she is.

I shuddered. "Really? I don't think they look alike at all." Heisuke commented as he studied the three of us. I looked at him, and thought, how does he think the three of us not look alike?

"No no no. They're practically identical. Dress the two up like a girl, and you wouldn't be able to tell those three apart." Okita said. The girl- Kaoru- was looking straight at us, as if she hadn't heard a word Okita-kun had said.

I had to say something, but... what? Perhaps she saw through Chizuru and my confusion, or perhaps it was something else-

"I wish to thank you properly, but I'm afraid you've caught me in the middle of an important errand which I must attend to. Please forgive my rudeness." She bowed quickly to Okita. "I hope I will be able to repay you soon, Okita Souji-san of the Shinsengumi." And with that, the girl who had called herself Kaoru disappeared into the crowds of Kyoto, although the unease her presence had created in me remained.

With a mischievous grin, Heisuke dug a playful elbow into Okita's ribs. "Hey hey hey! Looks like that girl had the hots for you, Souji!" Heisuke exclaimed. I giggled.

"Ha! Oh, Heisuke... Is that really what you think? You've got a long way to go before you're at Sano-san's level." Okita countered back.

"What? Hey! What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" Heisuke exclaimed. Their back-and-forth continued, but my mind was elsewhere. Last night's rain had left a number of puddles on the road, and when I looked into them, I saw a strange girl who looked just like me.

"Kaoru, huh...?" I mumbled to myself. The wind caught the surface of the puddle, sending a flurry of ripples across it. My face quirked into a small smile, but the face in the puddle didn't smile back.

"C'mon Chiaki! Let's get moving!" Heisuke said, coming up to me and grabbing my wrist. I nodded, as Chizuru caught up to Okita and they started a little conversation of their own. I stepped into pace with Heisuke, and he let go of my wrist.

The tingling was the only thing I felt that was left on my wrist after Heisuke had let it go. What was this?


	16. Chapter 16

The temple was much larger than the compound in Mibu, as advertised. The entire Shinsengumi could gather in the new common room with space to spare. I actually liked it a lot.

As Kondo-san spoke, his voice echoed grandly throughout the hall. "By now, I imagine you have all heard that Iemochi Tokugawa, the 14th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, will be visiting our city of Kyoto. The Shinsengumi have been asked to guard him as he passes through the city on his way to Nijo Castle!"

The Shinsengumi, guarding the shogun?! Almost immediately, the room exploded in cheers. Although, like earlier, Heisuke didn't look as excited as the others.

"Heh... Too hard for them to ignore us after the Ikedaya and Hamaguri, huh? All that work's finally paying off." Hijikata said, with a small smile.

"Guess you could say the fate of the country'll be resting on our swords, huh..." Okita chimed in. He let out a snort of laughter as he spoke, but there was something in what he said that put me on edge.

Then again, it wasn't as if I'd be going t guard the shogun... "Parade guards, eh... If only Sanan-san were still with us." Itou-san said. I sat next to Heisuke, with Harada-san on the other side. Chizuru sat next to Harada-san, too, in between Saito and Harada-san. Nagakura-san was on the other side of Heisuke. "We have truly lost a valuable ally..."

They'd never told Itou the truth about Sanan-san. n fact, the entire incident surrounding his transformation had been covered up. Only a few of the men of the Shinsengumi knew the truth. Perhaps Kondo felt guilty for deceiving him because I saw a brief flicker of bitterness cross his face before he spoke.

"Well, at any rate, things are going to be rather hectic here very soon, so we ought to get our assignments hashed out. To begin with, I'd like Toshi, Souji, and myself to-"

"Sorry Kondo-san, but you think maybe Souji can sit this one out? I think he's getting sick." Hijikata-san cut Kondo-san off.

"What? Souji, is this true? Are you alright?" Kondo asked, concerned.

"The Demon's just being a mother hen, sir. I think I'm fine." Okita-san answered.

"Don't give me that crap. You just about coughed up a lung earlier." Hijikata said.

"Fine, fine. Think someone's being a little overprotective, though..." Okita sighed. His smile turned a little bitter as he spoke, but he looked fine... Perhaps Hijikata was just being overprotective. I didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, before-

I noticed, still, that something might be bothering Heisuke. "...Heisuke...?"

"Uh... Um, Kondo-san... I'm not... feeling so great either..." Heisuke said.

"You too, Heisuke? This is our time to shine! I was hoping to have all of us there to greet the shogun..." Kondo said, looking a bit disappointed.

"Yeah, sorry..." Heisuke said, looking down at his lap.

"Oh, no, no, your health comes first. Always! I'm sure you'll have another chance. I'll just have to make sure you get to do something spectacular!" Kondo said with a smile. He did his best to simply wave it off, but it was easy for me to see his genuine concern for Okita and Heisuke.

Once he had finished inspecting the rest of the soldiers, and sending them off on their assignments, Hijikata turned to me and Chizuru. "All right, what're you going to do?" EH?

"Um... pardon me, but what do you mean?" Chizuru asked, confused.

"Don't give me that. I'm asking if you're coming with us or not." Hijikata said, a little impatiently towards Chizuru. He turned towards me and I nodded.

"I will only go if Chizuru-nee goes," I answered.

Chizuru hesitated for a moment, uncertain, and Okita and Heisuke laughed. "You don't need to worry about yourself, kid. Nobody's gonna be stupid enough to try and attack the shogun." Okita said.

"Why don't you go? I'd be surprised if anyone so much as draws a sword." Heisuke chimed in.

In my opinion, I figured that it didn't seem fair if I agreed to go immediately, since Heisuke and Okita didn't go, so I let Chizuru decide. But for some reason, I had a feeling Heisuke made up the part about not feeling well because he actually just didn't want to go.

Although, I had felt drained lately, with the lack of information we'd been able to uncover about Father. I could tell how depressed Chizuru had been getting once we were alone in our rooms. She wouldn't show just how much she missed him to any of the guys, but when we were alone in our rooms, she would look so bad, so I just hoped this would get her mind off of this.

"Okay, I'll go," Chizuru said with an excited grin.

"Calm down. You're just going to be carrying messages like Chiaki. Think you can handle sharing a job, Chiaki?" Hijikata mused to me.

I sighed but nodded. I rolled my eyes. Whenever I went on missions with them, I was always assigned to do this job, so when I had to share it with Chizuru, the guys would tease me about having to share it or be replaced by Chizuru.

Although it was troublesome, their teasing, it made me feel like I had more of a place than I actually did here, and it felt really nice. I didn't mind it, deep down.

. . . . . . .

Right, left.

Right, left.

My footsteps echoed softly through the night. "Owww... My legs are starting to cramp up..." Chizuru mumbled. I stopped jogging, and looking back at her fatigued figure. She still wasn't used to this. I liked it, actually.

I loved running. It made me feel so much more alive. In all reality, I couldn't have seen myself doing this before I met the Shinsengumi or even went to Kyoto, but now that I live with the Shinsengumi and am doing what I am doing right now, I couldn't imagine a life without all of this anymore.

Deciding it was best to take a short break for my elder and less physically capable sister, I stopped to look up at the castle with her. In the early days of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Nijo Castle had been a place for the shogunate to stay on his way to the capital. It had been a while since a shogun had actually stayed in it, though.

We'd met the shogun on the road and begun our escort about thirty minutes earlier, and had arrived at the castle relatively recently. By now, I imagined, Kondo-san, Nagakura-san, Inoue-san, and the men were greeting the officials and other important people in the shogun's retinue.

"Come on, Chizuru. We have a job to do." I said. It was our job to tell the soldiers when to change shifts, and generally carry messages back and forth. A glorified errand girl, in other words, I guess.

"This means I am not totally useless, right?" Chizuru asked me.

I shrugged. "No, but don't think you doing this like a piece of cake, Chizuru. You're still not fit enough to even last doing this. You need more stamina. You should join us when the other captains train. It's actually pretty fun."

Chizuru laughed a bit and smiled. "Only you would think and say that, Chi."

Even a short walk around Nijo Castle was enough to see several blue jackets, all of them on guard, none of them nervous of anxious.

"Well, of course... After all, the castle's really well-guarded." I mumbled to myself. "Only an idiot would try to-" A sudden chill ran down the length of my spine. I froze, along with Chizuru.

"Ah!" Chizuru exclaimed. I knew that feeling. Two feet of cold steel, waiting to find their way into you. Eyes shining with a lust for blood and violence. I'd never hoped to find myself accustomed to such a horrible thing, but in the time since I'd begun living with the Shinsengumi, I had felt it more than once.

I supposed they would have called it what I felt radiating from the shadows, "bloodlust." My eyes were drawn up toward the roof, where no normal person would ever think to look. A large wall cast a shadow, shielding a section of the roof from the moonlight.

There they stood. "You!" Chizuru exclaimed. I studied them, gazing hard. What did they want this time? What are they here for?

"So you two've noticed us. Not too slow, then..."

That bastard! How dare he insult Chizuru and me! They looked very distinctive, unlike any soldiers I'd ever seen before, but three sets of piercing eyes scattered my thought and made it difficult for me to think. I bet the same was going on for Chizuru, too.

I had recognized them instantly and put their names to their faces. Kazama Chikage was the man with red eyes and blonde hair. He was downright an arrogant asshole. Amagiri Kyuju was the man with long red hair and blue eyes. He had injured Heisuke but had sectioned me out, giving me the creeps as he had acted as if I was a royal or something. Shiranui Kyo, the man with long wavy blue hair and purple piercing eyes. He used a gun for a weapon and he got into a lot of conflicts with Harada-san, as I have heard.

They were all connected somehow to the Satsuma and the Choshu, and they'd made an effort to impede the Shinsengumi at the Ikedaya, and again at Hamaguri. Whoever the were, they did not belong at the shogun's castle!

"Wh-Why are you here?!" Exclaimed Chizuru.

"Hey little girl, you oughta be asking yourself how we got here, not why!... It was pretty easy, you know. A little human doesn't mean shit to a demon." Again, with the demon thing. What was up with that?

"We are here for a specific purpose. The purpose is you two, Yukimura Chizuru, Yukimura Chiaki. We are here for the both of you." Amagiri said, explaining their reason for being here.

I pushed Chizuru behind me and placed my hand on my katana. "Stay away from my sister...!" I growled, with a glare.

"I... I don't understand... A demon...? What do you mean And why are you here for... No... no, you must be joking!" Chizuru said, causing me to sigh. Didn't she get it? I mean, you'd think the healing powers would be enough explanation to her. Yes, I didn't expect us to be demons, or for that to even be an actual species, but it kind of made sense to me.

"... How can you ask what a demon is? Perhaps you're the one joking here. Your younger sister seems to get it just fine, after all, you are both demons, just like us." I looked down, while I was shoved behind my sister.

He stepped forward, the shadows following him like a cloak. When Amagiri spoke, it was calm and peaceful, as if he were trying to reason with a frightened child. "Do your injuries heal quickly? Too quickly, perhaps?"

Chizuru's eyes widened and she gasped. She was probably thinking, how did he know that, right? I sighed, looking down. I let my hand fall back to my side, and watched them, as they watched us.

"Do you heal from injuries faster than any human could?" Amagiri asked once more.

I nodded. "Yes, and it's because we're 'demons,' right?" He nodded, and I took this all into consideration. I mean, it made sense. I know Chizuru wouldn't be able to answer that, as she pursed her lips and remain silent. She was going into denial mode.

She lived her whole life either in fear or in the secrecy of her abilities, that she went into denial mode whenever I had talked about it. The same was happening now. Shiranui's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell? The younger one doesn't seem to be too troubled or in denial about this. Maybe it'll be quicker if we just give the other one a demonstration." Shiranui said. Again, Chizuru was silent. I tensed. What was he going to do?

"Enough, Shiranui. I don't care if she admits it or not. We're here for a reason, and that hasn't changed." Kazama said. His eyes dropped to the kodachi on Chizuru's waist, and then to my katana on my own waist. "Their family name is a demon's and they carry the Demon of the East's kodachi and katana. That is evidence enough."

Our family name? What was wrong with Yukimura? I didn't understand what he was saying, but that didn't stop the cold sweat that I could feel inching down my spine. Chizuru felt the same. It felt almost as though the darkness itself was coming for me.

"Then again, it isn't as though we need your permission to kidnap you," Kazama said to us. "Female demons are rare. Now, come with me..." His hand stretched out from the darkness, pale and grasping, like the tentacle of some hideous subterranean monster-

Then, out of nowhere, a blade flickered through the night.

"Whoa there, pal. Tryin' to pick up chicks in a back alley? That's not creepy at all." Harada-san said as he was in position with his staff. Saito near him, in position as well with his own katana.

"... You again? The culture and the nose of a dog, I see." Kazama sighed.

"One could say the same of you." Saito retaliated calmly. Sword and spear glinted in the moonlight, and Kazama stepped back and away from us, momentarily stymied.

"Harada-san! Saito-san!" Chizuru and I exclaimed, overjoyed to see these two here at the moment. My legs suddenly felt weak, as if the now-chattered tension had been the only thing keeping me standing. Chizuru and I teetered backward, our balance momentarily lost-

A strong sinewy hand caught us and pulled us back, its grip hard as steel. There was only one person that this hand belonged to. "Stay back, you two." Hijikata.

One hand guided Chizuru behind him even as the other drew his sword. He looked at me, telling me to stay out of the sword stuff, and I nodded, following Chizuru to behind him.

"Hm. I figured you were here for the shogun's head. What do you want from two kids?" Well, we weren't really kids, but I guess we did look like them, with our baby faces and all...

"I've little interest in you or the shogun at the moment." Kazama plainly said. "The matter at hand concerns only we demons."

"Demons?" Hijikata questioned. His eyes narrowed.

"Heh... Haven't seen these punks since Hamaguri..." Harada-san chuckled. As Harada-san drew his spear back to a ready position, I saw Shiranui's hand move toward the gun on his hip.

"True, though I feel a little at this reunion." Saito agreed, his hand tightening around the handle of his sword, and Amagiri's feet shifted into a stronger stance.

Tension hung in the air so think I could scarcely breathe. They were a power keg, ready to explode. Even the slightest movement could be enough to set them off. As slowly as I could move, I moved my hand toward the hilt of my katana, while Chizuru's trembling figure stayed frozen in front of me.

I'd nearly reached it when a voice whispered into my ear. "Don't worry about the commander and the captains," Yamazaki whispered lowly, so only I could hear.

"Yamazaki? When did you..." I trailed off softly, not wanting to make any sudden noises around the six intense men around me and Chizuru. He'd appeared as silently and invisibly as if he had been a shadow himself.

"I've been ordered to return the two of you to headquarters," Yamazaki said quietly, explaining why he was here to me. Chizuru noticed him by now, too, listening along. I nodded, but, Chizuru...

"Then... you're telling me to run away?" She asked. "And you're okay with this, Chiaki?" She asked me. I nodded.

"We wouldn't stand a chance with these guys. We'd be a hindrance, not an assistance." Yamazaki merely nodded at my words, apparently agreeing. It was true, really. If we remained, we wouldn't really be able to help anyone. "Come on, Chizuru. Let's go back."

She finally sighed and nodded, following me as I ran with Yamazaki to get back to headquarters. We ran with Yamazaki, anxious, nervous, scared. Several times, we turned to look over our shoulders to make sure nothing was following us. By the time we reached the temple, I'd lost count of how many times we'd checked.

"I have to go back to help them. There aren't very many men here at the moment. You two should go find either Okita-san or Toudou-san. They should be able to protect you if something happens." Yamazaki said to me as Chizuru was panting, hands on her knees.

I nodded. "Alright. Be safe. Take care of those guys." I said, with a small smile. He returned it, under his black mask, before disappearing into the night. Suddenly, the night felt very quiet.

The word "demon" echoed through my head, and their faces floated in front of my eyes. I shook my head. As the temple came back into focus, I felt very, very alone. Chizuru had wandered off, to go find Okita, or go back to our room.

"Right, Yamazaki said that I should go find Okita or Heisuke," I mumbled. Well, since Chizuru was most likely going to find either Okita or our room, I decided to go to Heisuke.

The temple at night felt like an entirely different place. Nearly all of the members of the Shinsengumi had gone to guard the shogun, which meant the entire compound was still, cold, and oddly silent. I was quite relieved, when I finally spotted Heisuke, sitting in a corner on the steps and gazing up at the stars.

"Heisuke-kun!"

"Huh? Chiaki?" He looked at me and blinked as if he didn't quite believe what he was seeing. "What're you doing here all alone?! ... Did you guys already finish with the shogun?"

"Um... Actually..." I didn't know where to start. Stumbling over my words more often than not, I poured our the whole story. At the mention of Amagiri, the man who'd wounded Heisuke at Ikedaya, he scowled.

"That guy, huh..."

I nodded, and continued, leaving out the part where they had called me a demon, and finished with my arrival at the compound. When I fell silent, he closed his eyes for a moment and sat, deep in thought.

"Damn... Well, this must've been a pretty scary night for you. Anyway, you don't have to worry so long as you're here. I won't let anybody lay a finger on ya!" He pounded his chest with one fist and grinned.

...Heisuke... I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. I felt a little better. There was something about his bravado that was somehow...comforting. But...wait...

"I thought you didn't feel well?" I said softly, inching slightly closer. I'm not sure he should be outside at night. He hadn't said how bad it was... If worst came to worst, could he still fight?

Heisuke glanced at my concerned face and frowned. "Oh...um... Actually, the truth is... I'm fine. I lied." He looked down, at his hands, as if suddenly all the guilt about his lie weighed down on his shoulders.

"What?... Why?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment, then shook his head in defeat.

"...I just didn't want to go guard the shogun." Heisuke sighed, confessing his thoughts.

The Shinsengumi had originally been formed to protect Kyoto, the home of the emperor, and to act as bodyguards to the shogun, when he visited the city. At that time, the divide between those who supported the shogun and those who didn't hadn't existed.

The shogun had shown a deep respect for the emperor and expressed a desire to drive out foreign influences. In other words, to serve the shogunate was to serve the emperor. That very service had been the reason for the Shinsengumi's existence. To work for the Shinsengumi was to work for the shogunate, and to help them keep order in the city of Kyoto.

"These days, though, it seems like the Shinsengumi is just another servant of the shogun's and the shogun isn't doing anything about the foreigners." Heisuke sighed, and leaned back on his palms on the steps we rested on.

So this was why Heisuke had been less than excited by the opportunity to escort the shogun. He gazed up at the starry night sky, his eyes distant and sad. I didn't know what to say. The Shinsengumi had never demanded to know, or even seemed to care, about my political leanings. Which was just as well, seeing as I had little in the way of knowledge or opinion on the subject, and almost never thought about it.

But Heisuke had been in Edo for a long time... Did he see a change in the Shinsengumi that had, to me, been too gradual to notice? "Um..."

As any group grows, it must begin to accept people with different viewpoints. Size and human nature will simply decree that it cannot remain tightly focused forever. So long as the Shinsengumi fought on the front lines of any war, it would lose friends to death. But how many might it lose, I wondered, to differences of opinion?

I did my best to put the thought from my mind. Better to enjoy the present while it lasts, than worry about the future. As I sat next to Heisuke, the memory of Kazama and his ominous last words began to fade.


	17. Chapter 17

So much had happened. My mind spun, full to bursting. Once the rest of the men returned, there was a meeting among the captains. The subject of that meeting was the three men who'd appeared at Nijo Castle: Chikage Kazama, Kyuju Amagiri, and Kyo Shiranui. (- First name, Surname).

They had called themselves demons, and their previous encounters with the Shinsengumi suggested that they were involved, somehow, with the Satsuma and Choshu. Although it wasn't clear if the three men were members of any domain, the Satsuma and Choshu were the most vocal imperialist domains.

What was clear, was that they- Kazama, Amagiri, and Shiranui- were not to be taken lightly. They could be the Shinsengumi's biggest enemies. There was another problem, however...

Why had they come for me and my sister?

Hijikata asked if I had any idea why they would have targeted me and my sister, but I was as desperate to know as he was. They'd called us one of them, and they'd known our last name. Kazama had pointed out my katana and Chizuru's kodachi, although I didn't understand what he'd said.

I couldn't bring myself to tell Hijikata and the captains. What if they didn't believe me? I didn't believe me. My name is Chiaki Yukimura. I am the youngest daughter of my father and my mother. I have an older twin sister and that's it. I'm a normal girl; nothing out of the ordinary.

My only memento of my diseased mother, my katana, lay in my palm. I squeezed it tight. Who am I?

"Hey, Chiaki, are you okay?" Heisuke asked as he came into my room. Chizuru was out with Okita and Saito. She told me she was going on the rounds with them.

I turned suddenly towards the boy who entered my room and nodded. I gave him the most reassuring smile I could muster. "Yeah, I'm fine... I just," I sighed, slouching slightly. "I'm just a little frightened still from last night. It gave me a lot to think about and it isn't even something I need to think about...

"Oh, well, I'm going to fool around with Sano-san and Shinpachi-san. Want to join us?" I looked at him again, but with wider eyes. I was shocked.

"Wh-What...?"

"You don't have to go if you want! But, they told me that for a while you've been acting kind of distant, so we thought maybe we should get your mind off of your father and sister for a bit. So, what do you say?" Heisuke grinned at the end, standing up from sitting next to me and extending his hand out and down for me to take.

I smiled, and nodded, taking his hand and helping myself stand up with it. After pulling my up, his grip tightened a little bit and we ran out of the room, towards the front entrance to meet up with Harada-san and Nagakura-san.

~ May 1865 ~

The compound was alive with noise and movement. I passed several soldiers in the halls with Chizuru, each one of them excited about something. What was going on?

Suddenly, the sound of running and panting was heard. Chizuru and I turned to the side, looking down the hall, to find Itou-san running away from something. "This is... this is unconscionable! Never, in all my...!"

"Itou-san, is something wrong?" I asked him.

"Yes! Yes, I'd say everything is wrong!" I tilted my head in confusion at his response. What is going on?! "Why should I be made to bare my skin in the same room as those... those savages?!" I winced at the volume of his voice. He, though, didn't seem to notice.

Itou's explanation was anything but. "Um... Is there something going on today?" Chizuru asked Itou.

Itou did his best to collect himself, shakily adjusting his hair and clothing before he spoke. "A supposed doctor that Kondo-san met during the shogun's visit has come here. He is conducting... physical examinations."

With a disdainful sniff, he glared pointedly across the hall, toward the are he'd just left. The men were getting physical checkups, that much I knew. Given our... peculiar situation, Chizuru and I had been exempted by the captains, who had also given Chizuru special instructions to stay away.

"That hairless monster! He demanded that I remove my clothes! In front of everyone! When I refused, as any decent man would do, he attempted to remove them himself! By force!" Itou ranted, explaining furiously what happened. "And the rest of them just... just stood there! What sort of uncultured savages are they?!"

"Savages" seemed a bit strong. At any rate, perhaps I should go see just what a physical entailed... I was a doctor's daughter, after all. Chizuru seemed to have mirrored my thoughts because she glanced at me and gave me a determined look.

"What's this doctor's name?" Chizuru asked.

"I believe he called himself Matsumoto Ryojun," Itou answered, more calmed down now.

What?! Chizuru and I shared a look. When we'd first come to Kyoto, so long ago, our plan had been to try and find Doctor Matsumoto. Our father had told us that we could rely on the man if we ever needed anything.

Unfortunately, he'd been away on business when we'd arrived, and after that, well... You know what happened after that. "We're going to watch the physical exams!" Chizuru exclaimed, grabbing my wrist tightly. There was no time to waste!

"Oh my... So you want to see those savages? What peculiar tastes..." Itou commented, although his calculating gaze lingered on me as if he knew something I didn't. Hm?

Without any further thoughts, Chizuru ran, dragging me with her to where the physicals were being taken place. "Is... this it...?" Chizuru asked herself. We had stopped in front of a sliding door. We could hear loud voices from inside.

"This is definitely it," I said, with a single, firm nod. I was nervous. Physicals, from what Itou described, didn't that mean the others would be shirtless or something? I blushed slightly, but I couldn't stop Chizuru from opening the door in time.

It was too late... She had already slid the door open. The scene froze us in place.

"All right, next!" Matsumoto said.

"At last! My turn! Check this out, Doctor!" Nagakura exclaimed as he flexed all of his muscle. In my opinion, I think some of these muscle brains- including Nagakura-san- just use this exam as an excuse to show off their muscles. "Hm? Hm?! Wadda ya think?! You're looking at the amazing product of years of training!"

Chizuru brought me close and tried shielding my eyes. I could see through the cracks from between her trembling fingers, though. We were probably blushing like crazy. I was probably blushing like crazy!

"Your body's fine, Shinpachi-san. I think it's your head the doctors oughta be taking a look at." Heisuke said with a sly grin on his face. At the sound of his voice, I turned my head slightly to look at him. It was just on impulse. Even so, I blushed even more red, like a Tsubaki flower's vibrant red petals.

"What's that? You say you want me to beat the daylights out of you, Heisuke?" Nagakura said back. God, hey argue and bicker like a bunch of children. I chuckled at them and their behavior.

"Hm... Nagakura Shinpachi, huh? You're fine. Move along. Next!" Doctor Matsumoto said. I pushed Chizuru off of me slightly, and backed up, brushing off the invisible dirt from my clothes, finding an excuse to look at the ground, while I tried to control my raging blush.

"Whoa, Doctor, hold on there! You gotta get a good look at this-" Nagakura said.

"No, you fine. Healthy as a horse. I've seen quite enough, thank you." Matsumoto replied.

"Shinpachi, you're holding up the line. Get moving, all right?" Harada-san said.

"I'm just saying, I don't really think you've had time to fully examine-"

"A medical examination is for finding problems, not showing off. Now move." Thank you, Saito!

It wasn't difficult to see why Itou had been so desperate to escape. I couldn't imagine him as part of such a display. "You need to take better care of your digestive system. Here. Take this after every meal." Matsumoto continued, when Nagakura stepped out of line and flexed with Harada.

Geez, those two. I shook my head, sighing, before turning around to get out of this place. I grabbed the back of Chizuru's collar, dragging her away with me. "Come on, Chizuru. Stop ogling over these guys. It boosts their ego if they notice you staring."

"Hey! I wasn't-"

"Whatever, let's just talk to Matsumoto-sensei when he's done examining these muscle heads."

We closed the door and waited in front of the room, later on, when Matsumoto stepped out of the room where he was conducting the examinations. "Um, excuse me!" Chizuru said, gaining the elder man's attention.

"Yes?" He looked at us for a moment, his eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Well, I need to fetch some more medicine, so perhaps now is a good time for a break. Can you two give me a hand?"

"Uh, s-sure! Of course!" Chizuru said. What luck!

"Um, Doctor Matsumoto..."

"Ah, Matsumoto-sensei, Yukimura-kun." Kondo greeted, appearing just as Chizuru was going to introduce us. "I see you've found them already."

"Yes, thanks to you."

"What?" Chizuru asked. I was- we were- utterly lost.

Doctor Matsumoto laid a gentle hand on Chizuru's shoulder. "Chizuru, Chiaki. I came here to see the two of you. Kondo-san told me that Kodo-san's daughters were staying with the Shinsengumi."

"Oh. I see." Chizuru said, nodding.

"I knew Kodo-san and Matsumoto-san were acquaintances... So I thought perhaps Matsumoto-san might be able to give us a clue as to his friend's whereabouts. I looked him up as soon as he returned to Kyoto." Kondo-san explained.

The Shinsengumi had their own reasons for wanting Father found, but Doctor Matsumoto's appearance was still cause for joy. "Thank you, both of you." Chizuru said, bowing, before grabbing my collar and making me bow, too.

They smiled at us.

. . .

Doctor Matsumoto went on to explain that he had just barely missed us when he'd left for Edo as we came to Kyoto. He'd received all our letters, but once he finally returned, he had no idea where we'd gone. Consequently, too, he couldn't come find us, either.

Kondo's mention of our prescence had taken him quite by surprise. "I'm sorry that I missed you. You must have had a rough time of it." Matsumoto-sensei apologized. "Is there anything you two need?"

"No. We're doing all right, thank you," Chizuru answered.

"So, Doctor Matsumoto... About our father..." I started. His face took on a grim cast, and before he even spoke I knew what his response would be.

"Unfortunately, I know no more about where Kodo-san might be than you do." He answered the predicted answer to us both.

"I... I see..." Chizuru said, obviously disappointed. I was too, but I simply let my head fall sadly. I didn't want anyone to see my face, that had let it's hopes up. I wanted to be stronger; for Chizuru.

I suppose on some level I had believed that Matsumoto-sensei would have some sort of miraculous revelation about my father... Foolish of me, of course, but that didn't make the truth any less devastating.

Kondo simply nodded. Matsumoto then spoke up. "I hear you two've become involved with the... um... the treatment." So he knows... "You know what I mean, don't you? Kodo's experiments..." I nodded.

Yes, we knew what he meant. The experiments Father had conducted with some strange concoction that could make people go mad.

"Please, tell me about it. I want to know everything my father was doing." Chizuru said. I already knew enough, from what Heisuke has now told me, along with Nagakura and Harada and even Okita, but Chizuru, she still didn't know much about it.

He nodded, and told her more about it. "Kodo was working with the Shinsengumi under orders from the shogun to create what were called 'furies'. Furies are humans with nigh-demonic strength and speed, and phenomenal healing abilities."

"Furies..." Chizuru repeated. It was the first time she had heard the word, after all.

The doctor paused for a moment to look at me, then continued when I had nodded. "he substance that transforms normal men into these furies is called the Water of Life. In China, they call it 'Sentan'. In short, it grants immortality."

"Furies... Water of Life..." Chizuru, again, repeated. If i hadn't known any better, it sounded more like something from a fairy tale than real life. But there was something in the tone of Doctor Matsumoto's that told Chizuru he was telling truth.

What I wanted to know, was why these people would take it, considering how much pain Sanan-san had went through, and the fact that they have to crave blood and go insane by the sight and smell of it.

"I've already heard about how it makes you strong and hard to kill, but doesn't it cause so much pain that it makes most people go crazy? And even if you survive that, then even the smell of blood can make you go crazy again." Chizuru said, voicing my thoughts.

Doctor Matsumoto nodded slowly, then pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He looked very tired. "So, you two know about that, too..." He mused, horrified almost.

"Yes..." We both nodded.

They were human, but... not human. Perhaps they were something entirely different now? I couldn't see how this "Water of Life" could ever be used for good. Even if it had healed Sanan's arm, he'd suffered greatly in the process.

"Why?" I asked, finally speaking up. Father would never want to ruin the life of another, but because of what he'd done, people had suffered- some had even died. "Why was our father doing this?" I asked, my voice slightly rising as my frustrated state grew.

But it wasn't just Father. I was sure no one involved had wanted such a terrible outcome. "Perhaps that is why Kodo-san left. His conscience would no longer allow him to continue." Matsumoto-sensei told us.

I could feel Chizuru believing that, as the words left his mouth. Me? I wanted to believe that, I really did. But if so, why would he make his own two daughters worry so much? Why didn't he just go home? Why didn't he send us any letters telling us?

I was smart enough, I surely would have been able to decipher any kind of hidden message of code he hadn't already taught me. "But the Water of Life was an opportunity given to us by the shogun, to help strengthen the Shinsengumi!" Kondo-san defended.

The doctor only shook his head. "It was an experiment, and it has failed. You should put it behind you. I'm sure the shogunate had abandoned it as well." Kondo frowned, perhaps unhappy that Doctor Matsumoto would question the shogunate's original decision. "You've seen what happened to the men it was tested on, Kondo-san. It cannot be allowed to continue. This experiment is inhumane and you know it."

Kondo simply gave a noncommittal grunt and fell silent. I was sure Kondo knew just how dangerous it was to use the Water of Life, but the shogunate had come to him with a request. He wouldn't just abandon it, knowing Kondo-san. Also, perhaps he was unable to refuse if he wanted to.

Silence fell like a thick blanket. It had grown almost unbearable, when- "An outsider has no right to object." Sanan-san said.

"Sanan-san?!" Chizuru gasped. He was especially pale, which seemed to be one of the consequences of being active during the day. "Is it okay for you to be up right now?"

"Sanan-san, you look pale," Kondo-san said, concerned for his comrade.

"Don't worry about me," Sanan-san said. He bowed quickly, his mouth a compressed line, and turned to regard the doctor with a cool gaze. "We use this treatment effectively, and at our own discretion."

"It's dangerous and far too strong..."

"We have continued Kodo's research. I am, as you can see, living proof. So to speak." Sanan told the doctor. As Sanan did indeed prove, it was possible to drink the Water of Life and retain your sanity. It just wasn't easy.

"Perhaps you're right, but one success hardly means you have to unlock its secrets," Matsumoto-sensei replied.

"I respectfully disagree. With continued research and modification, we will have much more success, and fewer causalities." Sanan disagreed. I backed up, expecting the arguing to grow from calm and respectful to loud and chaotic. I was not in the mood for getting another panic attack.

"This isn't a matter of fewer casualties. It is a matter of casualties, period!" I covered my ears at the tone of Matsumoto-sensei's voice. "It isn't worth the deaths of any more of your men."

"The men who have given their lives are the foundation of our work. I will not allow them to have died in vain." Sanan-san said in a darkly low voice that sent shivers down my spine at the ice-cold tone of his voice.

"But-"

"All right, that's enough. From both of you." Kondo-san said nervously, not wanting a fight to break out. We didn't need people to see Sanan-san out here- alive and breathing and all. "Why don't we discuss his some other time?"

It was my private opinion that they were unlikely to agree, no matter what time they discussed the subject, but I felt it would be polite to keep that to myself. After all, I was in no place to express my opinion about the matters of this subject.

"Very well," Matsumoto-sensei said. There seemed to be very little in the way of common ground between them, but I could see the merit of both their arguments. Likely Kondo-san had as well and had chosen to think before it got... unpleasant.

"If you insist, Kondo-san." Sanan's face betrayed nothing of what he might be thinking, even when the corner of his mouth quirked up into the beginnings of a smile. He bowed once more, and left as swiftly as he'd arrived.

Kondo cleared his throat loudly. "So, ah, how did the exams go?"

"Ah, yes. About that..." Doctor Matsumoto's face took on the look of someone about to discuss something exceedingly grotesque. "Nearly a third of your men are sick, or injured, or both."

"What?!" Chizuru gasped in surprised. Not too surprising, I thought, since this place is so dusty and dirty, there's no other reason as to why they are sick.

"Impossible!" Kondo-san exclaimed, not believing it.

"It's not only possible, it is the truth, Kondo-san. What on Earth have you been doing to these poor men?" Doctor Matsumoto asked. "Cuts, lacerations, bowel pain... The entire place is lousy with... well, lice, for one."

Ew, lice. I made a face and stuck my tongue out at the mention of lice and Chizuru elbowed me softly.

"Are you serious?" Kondo-san asked, troubled.

"First, you need to set aside a room dedicated to medical care. Sick men can be sent there." Matsumoto-sensei suggested. "Second, you need to clean this place up. Otherwise, I wont be ale to help you."

"I understand. Well, if the good doctor says so..." Kondo-san sighed.

I went up to the two men and they look down at me when I smiled. "Don't worry, Kondo-san. Chizu-nee-san and I will help you and the other guys clean the compound!" He smiled and laughed and ruffled my hair at that.


	18. Chapter 18

Doctor Matsumoto had given Physical Exams the day previous to today, and so, we were ordered to clean the entire compound. The captains complied, although they certainly seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea.

After a little, while Nagakura and Heisuke were wiping the board wood floors, they made a competition of who could race with the rag and clean the fastest. Harada laughed at them and decided to say some smart comment, while I was the ref.

They both ended up getting yelled at from Hijikata-san, but later they told me it was so worth it. I laughed at them nervously, while Chizuru looked at them as if they were crazy.

The following day, Doctor Matsumoto returned for an inspection. "Well, you've certainly cleaned this place up..." Matsumoto-sensei laughed whole heartedly with a big smile and crossed arms. He looked pleased, if not a little smug.

"It better be. We busted our asses off!" Nagakura exclaimed with a grin.

"Yeah, except for Souji. The only thing his ass busted was a chair. Doesn't seem fair to me..." Heisuke sighed. That's right. Okita-san didn't really do anything, but sit there since the cleaning and dust going around would make his condition worse.

"Can't blame me if Hijikata-san's an overprotective old woman." Okita defended.

"Shit it. You can run all you want soon as you can go a day without coughing up a lung." Hijikata frowned that signature intimidating look. If Hijikata had any actual concern for Okita's health, his face showed none of it.

"Nonetheless, a clean home is a nice change." Saito mused. He held a small smile, which made Hijikata lean back a bit and smile.

"True. The place looks... different. I guess I cold get used to this." Hijikata said.

"Well, maybe we should clean every day, then?" Harada chimed in.

"Great idea! Make sure you do a good job, Heisuke!" Nagakura grinned, with crossed arms.

"Me?! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a minute here! You've got the most energy, Shinpachi-san! Don't think you're getting out of this!" Heisuke yelled, causing me to giggle for some reason at their antics. They're at it again...

"I'll help, too!" I piped up, with my regular soft voice. Chizuru nodded along with me with a smile on her own face.

"Good, good! We'll all give it a shot tomorrow, all right?" I nodded at Heisuke, with a close-eyed sweet smile dancing on my features.

"Hey, wait a minute! When exactly did I tell you I was gonna help?" Nagakura asked.

"There's some trash over there. Go throw it away, Shinpachi." Hijikata said teasingly.

"We aren't starting till tomorrow, right? Heisuke?" Nagakura replied back.

"Stop running around like that. We've just cleaned, and you're already kicking up dust." Saito sighed.

I was enjoying their banter so much I almost didn't notice Okita quietly step outside. "Hm?" I wasn't the only one, either. Chizuru must have noticed, too. I could just see Okita and Doctor Matsumoto outside, walking off somewhere together. Where could they be going, I wondered.

"I'll go. I will tell you about it later." Chizuru whispered to me, to which I shrugged and nodded. It wasn't any of my business. I mean, I was worried for him, but... I wouldn't sneak up on them and eavesdrop on their conversation, like Chizuru.

After the excitement wound down, I excused myself and went back to work.

Chizuru and I were outside sweeping, bamboo broom in my hand when he appeared. "...They make you do chores here, do they?" A very familiar voice asked, amused, but at the same time, in a bit of a mocking tone.

"What-?" I quietly exclaimed, dropping my broom in the process. The cool, bemused voice had come from behind me.

It only took me half a second to realize it was a voice I'd heard before. Slowly, Chizuru and I turned around to face this man. "You have the pure blood of a demon running in your veins, and yet you run errands and clean up for a pack of humans?" Kazama- just as I had suspected- asked.

His face was a mixture of surprise and sneering disgust as he looked down at me through cold eyes. I took the hilt of my katana and drew it, while Chizuru grabbed my broom. "Wh-What are you doing here?!" Chizuru exclaimed.

"...Hmph." He simply grunted. It was halfway between a disdainful laugh and an amused snort.

"You mean to fight me with that, hm?" Kazama asked Chizuru. "Your heritage hasn't blessed you, but your younger sister, with brains, I see." His tone was mocking, but his eyes were like two chips of ice. This was a dangerous man.

What was I going to do? I could hardly face him alone. I mean, he took Okita-san down, as if it was nothing! He went up in a draw against Hijikata-san! I was improving, thanks to the help I get while the others are training, but I wasn't on the same level of strength as Kazama.

"Come down, little one. I haven't come here to fight. Not today, at least." He added the last part as a snide comment. "I only want to know what, if anything, you have to do with Kodo-san."

Kodo... That was Father's name. But why would he, of all people, mention our father? "You want to know about our father?" Chizuru dumbly asked. Why would she tell him, he could use it against us!

"...Kodo, you father?" Kazama asked us, for clarification. I sighed and nodded.

"If you're talking about Yukimura Kodo, then yes. He's our father." I nodded.

"I see..." I'd seen the surprise on his face at first, but now an understanding seemed to have dawned across it. Unfortunately, my own confusion had only deepened, as well as Chizuru's.

"Why are you asking about our father?" Chizuru asked him slowly, unsurely. She lowered her broom, our situation temporarily forgotten, while I kept my Katana and self in position, when-

"Trying to sneak into the enemy camp along, huh? Well, not on my watch." Hijikata said.

"Hijikata-san?!" Chizuru exclaimed, startled. He settled into a loose fighting stance, placing himself between Kazama and me and my older twin sister's pathetically ineffectual broom.

"What're you doin' out here in broad daylight? Little early in the day to be pickin' up chicks, pal." Harada said, in a smart-ass manner, while pulling Chizuru away.

"Get away from her!" Heisuke exclaimed while grabbing my arm and bringing me in behind him protectively.

"Harada-san! Heisuke-kun!" I said, glad to see them here.

"I heard you yelling, Chizuru-chan. Sounded like you were up to something besides cleaning." Harada-san informed us.

"You alright, Chiaki-chan? Are you hurt? You're really pale!" He said, grabbing my forearms and inspecting me for injuries.

"I'm fine, Heisuke-kun. I'm just a little startled is all..." I lied, looking down. They can't know... no one else does... only Father... Not even Chizuru knows.

"The Mibu's wolves can only fight in a pack, eh?" Kazama mused.

"Watch it," Hijikata warned.

I could feel the tension rising by the second, but it was Kazama who attempted to cut through it. "If you want to play, then I'm happy to oblige, but I'm here today simply to take care of some business. More specifically, to issue a warning. Stop trying to turn humans into demons."

"What?" Chizuru mumbled, confused. I was confused as well. Humans into demons? What was he talking about? Was he... perhaps, talking about the... furies... ? Was he talking about the Water of Life?

"Not your business." Hijikata firmly said, getting more irked by the second.

"Yeah, what makes you think we're gonna listen to a sleazebag who'd attack a girl in broad daylight?" Harada added. "Let alone two."

"Idiots. Are you too blind to see I am doing you a favor?" Kazama retaliated. If he was trying to show the Shinsengumi kindness, it certainly didn't show on his face.

"This is our turf! You better shut your trap before we gotta do it for you!" Heisuke exclaimed, protectively holding me tightly and closer to him. I looked up at him in shock, heat tinting my slightly blushing cheeks.

This went unnoticed by Kazama. Although, it seemed like he wasn't going to point anything out. All he did was mock Heisuke. "Hmph. The smaller the dog, the louder the bark." He looked away from the captains, as if suddenly entirely uninteresting in them, and fixed me with his cold gaze. "Kodo is with us now, Chiaki, Chizuru. Do you two understand what that means? Your father has abandoned the shogunate."

"What...?" Chizuru mumbled, not believing a word he said. His mysterious smile gave me nothing in the way of explanation.

"Why are you two here? I suggest you think on that. Carefully." Then, with a slow, rippling motion- like a shadow slipping across the ground- he turned his back to us and vanished.

What was happening? What were demons, and why had they come after me and Chizuru? Did that mean he was working with national imperialists? The inside of my head was a swirling mass of questions and doubts, but the one thing that most concerned me was my father.

While Chizuru questioned Hijikata and talked about those three demons, Heisuke still held me close, in a protective manner. What had become of my father? I looked up at Heisuke, "Did my father really betray the Shogun?" I asked.

It was really an easy question to ask. Until then, I'd thought he was working for the shogun. And why did Kazama know so much about my father? The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how little I actually knew.

"Don't let it get you down, Chiaki. At least you know he's alive, right?" He smiled down at me, his arms still tightly wrapping themselves around my waist. I didn't know what I looked like, but it must have been terrible, judging by the concern on Heisuke's face.

I blushed darker and looked down at the arms around my waist, and he seemed to notice, too. How I knew that, was because he blushed as well and let go of me.

"Yes, that's true, but..." He was doing his best to cheer me up, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I still had so many questions.

"Besides, we don't even know if what the punk said is true," Heisuke said, before grinning. "We just gotta capture as many nationalist ronin as we can, and see if they know anything about your dad!"

"...True. We don't really have any reason to believe this Kazama guy." Harada said, giving me a reassuring smile.

"We've got the Watch looking for Kodo. I'm sure they'll find something soon." Hijikata said. Even as Hijikata and Harada seemed concerned about my mood...

"Thank you." I murmured quietly. I was so grateful for them.

I hadn't really expected any of them to be so nice to me. It was a pleasant surprise. The only reason they allowed me and Chizuru to stay was because we were our father's daughters. That hadn't changed, but...

"I'll let you know as soon as I find anything out, okay? So don't let it get to you, Chiaki!" Heisuke said to me, giving me that contagious smile of his.

I smiled back at him in response. "Okay!" Their words- Heisuke's especially- made me feel happy.


	19. Chapter 19

From then on, Matsumoto-sensei visited the compound regularly, to check up on the men of the Shinsengumi. The Corps was renamed the Fury Corps, but still, they remained a secret to all. I couldn't help but wonder...

Was it really all right to continue to research the creation of furries? It wasn't long before I began to wish I'd never heard of the Water of Life or furies. Ignorance truly, really is bliss, isn't it?

September 1866

After the dust cleared, following the Hamaguri Rebellion, the Shogun set about cleaning house. The Choshu Domain were declared enemies of the court, and the Shogun gathered other domains and launched a military campaign known as the Choshu Expedition.

It was the intention of the shogunate to completely demolish the Choshu Domain, but intervention on the part of the Satsuma and some of the other domains led to an early end for the Expedition with no actual battles fought.

Perhaps feeling they'd dodged a bullet, the Choshu Domain fell silent for a time. Their obedience was short-lived, however, and before long their disrespect for the shogun became impossible to ignore.

Kondo was asked to accompany an envoy sent to the Choshu to investigate their behavior, but they refused to even meet with the envoy. Fed up with their insubordination, the shogunate ordered the Second Choshu Expedition.

"Hey, guys! Listen up!" Nagakura-san exclaimed

"What is it, Nagakura-san? Is something wrong?" I asked him.

"What, you run into some outlaw ronin out there?" Harada asked.

"No, it's way worse than that. I heard that Lord Iemochi's dead!" Nagakura explained.

"What?!" Chizuru exclaimed. Lord Iemochi, the 14th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate?! I could feel my chest tighten. I'd never seen his face in person, and neither had most of the Shinsengumi. Even so, the Shinsengumi had been assigned to guard him in the past, and he was the symbol of the shogunate.

"Are you sure? Man, this has gotta be the worst time for something like this to happen..." Harada sighed. "What gonna happen to the Choshu Expedition? Have they decided on a new Shogun yet?"

"I don't really know any details..." Nagakura sighed, his arms cross over his chest.

"There's no way we can go to war without a leader. It'd destroy morale." Harada worriedly said.

"I know. I've got a real bad feeling about this." Nagakura sighed, agreeing. "The Choshu got off easy. I'm hoping they'll get the pounding they deserve this time, but.."

"They're only a single domain..." Chizuru mumbled. We tried to convince ourselves that a single domain couldn't cause much of a problem, but I couldn't shake that feeling of dread.

Soon afterward, the Shogunate lead a massive army against the Choshu, but the expense of war weighed heavily on the coffers of the other domains, and they fielded fewer troops than the shogunate had hoped for.

The death of Iemochi was another blow to army morale, and some domains withdrew from the war entirely. So it was that the Second Expedition ended in a shocking defeat for the shogunate army. That was the moment when the shogunate's government, stable for 260 years, began to waver.

"It sure has been pretty hot lately..." Chizuru mused to me and Saito as we walked the regular patrol rounds throughout Kyoto. I nodded as both Chizuru and I swept our hands across our faces, wiping away several new beads of sweat.

Kyoto was a nice city, but I could have certainly done without the humid heat. I bet Chizuru would agree with me, too. "...Indeed." Saito simply said. Beneath his usual calm, there was a hint of alertness and carefully-restrained violence, and for a good reason. The Choshu had been declared enemies of the court after the Hamaguri Rebellion and driven out of Kyoto, but some feared remnants of their forces remained behind, in hiding. Now more than ever, Saito and the rest o the Shinsengumi had to be alert and focused when on patrol. "I'll begin with this store." He said, before continuing. "Wait here. There is nothing for you to do inside."

"Alright," Chizuru said while I simply nodded along with her, in silence.

Saito gave me a short nod of confirmation and stepped into the shop with his men. "I'm from the Shinsengumi. I have come to inspect your store." Saito said in a clear and slightly louder voice that held a tone of superiority in it, making him seem more intimidating than usual.

"Y-Yes, sir. Of course." The store owner stuttered out, bowing slightly and gesturing his arm towards further more into the store.

We'd been waiting for Saito and his division for a few minutes when I noticed a commotion nearby.

"Hey! Outta the way! You got a couple of patriots comin' through here!" A random ronin said loudly, causing me to look more towards the commotion. Chizuru also noticed once his words left his mouth.

A number of rather unpleasant-looking Ronin were making their way in my general direction, yelling, threatening, and generally intimidating anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.

"Patriots"? Hardly. Perhaps they considered themselves loyal to the imperial court, but they looked like the sort who only used their supposed patriotism as an excuse to steal and kill. These were just the sort of men whom the Shinsengumi was charged with subduing.

"Tch... pathetic..." I muttered under my breath with a heavy silent sigh.

"Hey! You deaf?! I told you to move!" The same loud and shouting ronin from before tossed a poorly-aimed kick at a child playing in the street.

Chizuru and I gasped. "Stop-!" Chizuru had started but was cut off by a young girl around the same age as us, dressed in very pretty attire. We had barely taken a single step toward them, when-

"Desist, you hooligans!" The girl had orange-light brown eyes and dark brown hair that had a shortcut, but under it was two long strand groups of hair that lay over her shoulders and on her back. It was tied with a yellow ribbon/string of sorts. Her outfit consisted of the colors yellow, green, a slightly dark shade of orange, a white outer sash, and a purple fabric over her arms.

I didn't see where she'd come from, but she had run out to place herself between the ronin and child.

"Wassis? You think you can tell us what to do, lady?!" The same leader ronin exclaimed. "Ha! Some broad wants to pick a fight with us?! Patriots loyal to the emperor?!" The man's obviously short fuse had been lit. He made a grab for the girl and missed. I suspected his next attack wouldn't be quite so inaccurate. I couldn't let that happen. Sadly, before I could react, Chizuru had jumped in before me. "Who're you? You know this broad?" The man asked Chizuru, irritated.

"No. I don't." Chizuru stated.

"Then how about you keep your damn nose outta my goddamn business!" The man shouted. Flecks of spit visibly flew from his mouth as he roared at Chizuru, and I could tell Chizuru's legs suddenly felt somewhat weaker than they had a moment ago.

However, Chizuru was committed. She couldn't run now.

I slowly walked towards them, taking my time. I was assessing the situation and I was determining whether or not I needed to interfere. I decided to anyways. I walked from behind the men slowly and spoke, not looking up. "If you truly love your country as you say..." I looked up to glare at them. "Then why do you abuse women and children?" They seemed taken aback slightly at my presence. "A samurai should protect common people, not attack them!" I said firmly, coolly, calmly.

"What did you say?" They exclaimed.

"That's right! You tell him, son!" A self-confident passerby man shouted out to me. He then shouted at the three ronin. "How 'd ya like that, ya damn ronin! Patriot, my ass! Get outta my city!" I sighed at the man's comments.

Something about my speech seemed to have struck a chord with the crowd that had begun to gather. With cheers, I noticed Chizuru started to gain a little more confidence as she stood behind me and in front of the girl.

"You son of a bitch!" The man cursed me. With the rough hiss of metal, the ronin's sword leaped from its scabbard. Chizuru had discovered behind me that she suddenly had difficulty swallowing. I, however, had taken my katana out at the same time as the ronin.

I was ready to protect my sister and self. I know that if Chizuru and I tried to dodge, then it would hit the girl, making our appearance in the scene pointless. So, I did the next best thing, take out my own sword. Surely, after the training and extra practice I had begun to regularly get has paid off.

Suddenly, though, as the man started to slightly raise his blade, and Chizuru closed her eyes, he was hit with the back of Saito's sword, and sent back in pain. "Huh?" Chizuru blurted, opening her eyes to the sight.

"You needn't worry. I used the back of my sword." Saito calmly and coldly reassured.

"Saito!" Chizuru exclaimed while I sighed, sheaving my own sword.

"Urgh...hnnng... You..." The man struggled.

Saito turned to his men, before ordering them around to arrest these three men. "Take them to headquarters. They may be Choshu."

"Yes, sir!" The members of the 2nd Division said, before doing their thing. Working quickly, Saito's men set to work binding the ronin for transport.

Saito's cold eyes landed on me, but I shook my head sighing and pointing to Chizuru and the girl while slightly unsheathing my sword by an inch or two. This indicated, silently, that I was not the one at fault here. Although, I was the one who spoke up, I was only doing it to protect my sister- and the girl. Saito sighed and looked at Chizuru. "That was reckless, Chizuru. Why didn't you call me? You were lucky Chiaki here was with you."

"I-I'm sorry." Chizuru bowed while apologizing to Saito and me. "I wasn't thinking..."

"The gentleman is right! You were dreadfully reckless! If it wasn't for the one other there, you would have been toast. I had the situation quite well in hand!" The girl reprimanded Chizuru.

I chuckled at this. "Now, who's the one being reckless here...?" I mumbled under my breath to myself.

"Ah... Um..." Chizuru trailed off, unsure and taken aback. A scolding from Saito was expected, but I hadn't thought that the erstwhile damsel in distress would contribute, too, in the scolding session for Chizuru.

"I am very sorry I made you worry..." Was all Chizuru could say, bowing to the girl. The bow was short and confused, to which the girl blinked as if suddenly remembering very important.

"Oh, but... You two did save me, didn't you now?" She said, smiling. "And I haven't yet thanked you two! How crude of me. Thank you." She bowed slightly, in thanks. "I must say, you're awfully courageous! Both of you! Most people wouldn't dare confront a ronin so! Or even dare draw a sword against one!" I blushed at that. So did Chizuru.

"No. I didn't..." Chizuru started. " mean, Chiaki, Saito, and his men saved me. I didn't really do anything..." Chizuru scratched her check with red tinting them.

The girl raised a dainty hand to her mouth in a poor attempt to stifle a giggle. I smiled a small sweet smile. "Hehe. Oh, you needn't be so modest." The girl giggled a little more. "I suspect that this, our meeting here, is providence. Young ladies must watch out for one another here in the city!" She said. I was a little surprised. So she's sharper than she looks... huh?

"Uh...?" Chizuru was a little more speechless than I. Saito glanced from her to us, and an expression flickered across his face that I couldn't quite place.

"You can't expect we can fool everyone, Chizu-nee." I smiled innocently.

Saito nodded in agreement. "There's no need to worry about it."

"Oh dear. Was it supposed to be a secret? Perhaps I... shouldn't have mentioned it?" She asked, worried. I could see Chizuru wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Then again, how does a person respond to that sort of question? She seemed to sense our confusion, and gracefully moved on. "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't believe I've even asked your name! How terribly boorish of me! I should very much like to friends, but it is difficult to become acquainted with the nameless. Might I inquire as to who you two are, then?"

"Um, well this is-" Chizuru was cut off. She was about to start with introducing Saito, as it was polite since he was of much higher rank, but it looked like the girl thought otherwise.

"Oh. I know who he is. Saito-san, yes? The Shinsengumi is frightfully famous here. And you two are?" She inquired once more.

"My name is Yukimura Chizuru. This is my younger twin sister, Chiaki. It's nice to meet you." Chizuru bowed with a bright smile dancing on her features.

"Pleasure to meet you." I bowed with a sweet smile gracing my lips.

"And it is a pleasure to meet you two, Chiaki-chan, Chizuru-chan. You may call me Sen." Sen, the girl, introduced herself as well.

"Sen-san?" I asked.

"Oh goodness, you needn't be so uptight! You look to be about my age, so I see no reason for us not to speak as contemporaries." Sen said, with a smile and wave of her small hand in front of herself.

"So, just Sen-chan, then?" Chizuru asked.

"Yes. I suppose that will do." She nodded with a warm smile that was as bright as the sun out right now. She grasped our hands between her own, her face open and earnest. "We must meet again sometimes, Chizuru-chan, Chiaki-chan!" She gave our hands a gentle squeeze, then turned and left, her kimono flapping behind her.

Our encounter was over before I'd had a chance to grasp what was even happening, and so I simply stood, stunned, for a moment or two. "Um..." Chizuru looked at me, and we shared a look.

We then glanced up uncertainly at Saito. "...Is our, um, disguise really so easy to see through?" We asked in sync. If it wasn't, then how had Sen, whom we'd just met, been able to tell immediately that we were girls? I had to admit I'd felt like it was a pretty good disguise...

Saito looked down at us, a strange expression on his face. "...Who knows?" He simply smiled, before walking off towards the head quarter's direction.

The two of us stood there for a second, unblinking, in responsive. We then looked at each other, before we exclaimed, running to catch up with the man. "What? Wait, what's that supposed to mean?!"

His only response was a flicker of a smile. I opened my mouth to protest- "We should go. We've fallen behind already. We must hurry to complete our patrol on time." Saito said. Oh, Saito-san... I sighed. Always the perfectionist...

He spun on his heel and marched off down the street. "...Fine!" Chizuru exclaimed while I silently ran to catch up with the two. It was clear he had given us all the answers we were going to receive, and so I hurried to catch up, albeit somewhat petulantly.


	20. Chapter 20

It felt like summer: Each day was hotter than the last.

On this particularly sweltering day, I was bringing some tea to Kondo-san, who was relaxing on the veranda. "Here's your tea, sir," I said, handing the tea to him.

"Oh! Thank you..." He had a been deep in thought; arms crossed and face stern. Things had been... bad since Lord Iemochi's death. Kondo-san especially was having a difficult time of it. Perhaps it was best if I simpler left him alone... I turned and had already begun to walk away when he spoke. "Matsumoto is examining Souji right now." His Coughing had grown more violent and more frequent lately, perhaps...

"...What did he say?" I asked, curious as to confirming my suspicions.

"He hasn't said anything yet. I hope it's nothing serious. If something happened to Souji, I don't know how I'd be able to face her..." Kondo-san said. Her? Who was her?

"...Her?" I asked, tilting my head in slight confusion.

"Yes..." Kondo said, lines formed across his forehead, and his frown deepened. "When we left for Kyoto, Mitsu, his older sister, asked me to look out for him. If I made her mad, I... well, I shudder to think what might happen to me. The very thought is terrifying."

"...What would she do to you?" I asked, almost unsure of if I really wanted to know what the answer would be. It wasn't exactly the sort of thing I'd ever thought I'd hear from Kondo-san of all people. As his descriptions of her behavior became more and more exaggerated, I found myself laughing.

-3rd-

"Hey, this isn't a laughing matter!" Kondo-san scolded the young girl, but he felt glad to see her smile and laugh. The mirth in her eyes was clearly present. He had been worried about the girl. She was so young and was always forced to be the older one of her and her sister, so she rarely had time to be herself.

It was obvious that while Chizuru almost rarely thought too hard on things, and always worried about things that weren't their problem, Chiaki would always be thinking ahead, of how it would affect both her and her sister not just now, but in the future. She was clearly the more mature one, but that maturity meant she couldn't be young and act young much.

So, he was glad when Chiaki would laugh and smile either during the times she spent with the other captains like Heisuke, Shinpachi, or Sanosuke, or times like these where she was away from her sister and could be as normal as she can with herself.

-1st-

"S-Sorry... I just... sort of don't get how someone like you could be scared of one woman..." I mumbled while calming her giggling fits down.

"I'd rather right off ten ronin then try and argue with her. She's... quite something." Kondo-san told me.

"That makes two of us." Hijikata suddenly said, making his presence become known to the two of us.

"Oh, you too, Hijikata-san?" I asked.

"I hope everything will turn out alright, but if something should happen to Souji, then I would like you to be the one to tell Mitsu, Toshi," Kondo-san told the other man.

"Like hell, I will. That kinda crap is what we have a chief for, Chief." Hijikata shot back, causing me to smile and try to stifle my giggles. They looked like school boys arguing over who will tell a teacher or something that they broke something.

"Easy for you to say..." Kondo-san's behavior had been strange enough, but Hijikata too? Just what sort of person was Okita-san's sister?

"Oh, right... Did you hear about the notice board over by Sanjo Ohashi Bridge?" Hijikata asks Kondo-san, changing the topic of the conversation, and turning it towards the matter of hand, to which he had come over to us to discuss. The board he was talking about had been set up by the shogunate, to officially and publicly declare the Choshu enemies of the court. "Some assholes pulled it out and tossed it into the Kamo."

"Yes, of course, I heard about that. Haven't they already replaced it?" Kondo-san nods, before asking. Their atmosphere changed and now, they were talking business... Not literally, but you know what I mean.

"They did. Same thing happened. I think they're gonna ask us to keep an eye on it pretty soon." Hijikata sighed.

"It got torn down at night, didn't it?" Kondo asks. "What do you say to use Sanan-san's Fury Corps, then?" My face darkened at the mention of the furies. I disliked that they kept trying to improve them, but I know that if they didn't, Sanan-san would either be dead, or he would be completely useless on the battlefield as a warrior still.

Hijikata frowned. "The Fury Corps... huh?"

"You think it's a bad idea?" Kondo asked, both were discussing the matter at hand gravely as if suddenly the atmosphere around us had tensed. I was suffocating, it was so thick, one would think they could cut it with their blade.

Hijikata chose his words carefully, his face grim. "They work hard enough, but... They tend to get a little excited. Whatever we give them to do, they end up slaughtering the other side. That's not enough for 'em, though: They go in and hack the corpses to bits. Most of the time they're not even recognizable." I winced at the descriptions with way too much information that I needed. "Maybe they're doing it to try and hide the Shinsengumi's hand, but they're going too far. We're not just a pack of murderers. I told 'em to knock it off, but they won't listen. They just wanna play with their corpses. They keep this up, and we're no better than those night-cutters."

"Hm..." Kondo agreed, nodding grimly. I stayed silent. I felt a shiver snake down my spine as he spoke. Even more, than a year later, I still remembered with terrifying clarity what I had heard that night when Chizuru and I first arrived in Kyoto: the furies. Of course, I had only heard them and had blacked out unconscious soon later, but Chizuru had seen it. She had been awake the whole time, until she was saved and then she had blacked out.

They'd behaved as if possessed by evil spirits; their swords hacking away mercilessly at men already dead. It hadn't been hatred or fear that drove them, but some sort of twisted amusement. I didn't think I'd ever forget the half-mad smiles each had worn.

"...I've got a few other ideas." Hijikata finally said with a deep intake of breath.

"Good, good. I'll leave the details to you, Toshi." Kondo smiled a little, the other nodding. "Ah, yes... Have you heard about Lord Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi, the old Guardian of the Shogun?"

"Yeah, what about him? I've heard a couple people say he's like Ieyasu reborn. I dunno about that, but I do hear he's pretty sharp..." Hijikata replied with crossed arms. Before long, they'd started to discuss politics I couldn't begin to understand and I politely and silently excused myself.

I thought back on what Hijikata had said. It was true that Sanan-san had been acting strange, and the Fury Corps had been getting more and more violent. There was a lot on my mind, but what worried me most was the furies.

Just as Hijikata had predicted, the Shinsengumi received an official request to guard the notice board at the Sanjo Bridge. As it turned out, the vandals were eight men from the Tosa Domain. Harada and his division were well-prepared and captured them when they attacked.

Harada was given a reward by the Aizu for his service, and he took the rest of the captains and I accompanied them to a meal at Sumi in Shimabara. "Well, I'll be damned! You really did it, Sano!" Nagakura exclaimed, grinning from ear-to-ear. "And to think you want to use that reward money to treat us all to some good food... Well!"

"If you're going to suck up, you might at least try and mention how he actually got that reward," Souji told Nagakura with his infamous smirk.

"I'll get to it!" Nagakura said, still grinning. "I'm just so touched that he's gonna pay the bill I think... I think I might cry! Tonight's on Sano, guys! Drink as much as you want! Forget your problems!"

"Hey! Don't go nuts, alright?!" Harada said.

"Thanks, Sano-san! I'm gonna drink myself stupid!" Heisuke exclaimed excitedly.

"Not everyone here can drink, you know," Souji said, his smirk gone, but a smile playing on his lips while Hijikata mirrored that peaceful state- for once.

"There's more to do than drink, you know. Eat, for instance." Hijikata said, leaning back.

"...Yeah, I guess you're right. Hell, if Sano-san's paying, why not?" Okita-san grinned lightly.

I wasn't entirely sure Sumi was the sort of place a girl should be, but... They were treating me like I was one of them; like I'd finally been accepted. It felt nice. Chizuru had decided to stay home, back at headquarters, because she told me she would have felt weird, being in a place like Sumi in Shimabara of the Red Light District. I shrugged it off and waved off her worries then.

The door at the other end of the room slid open. "Good evening, gentlemen. Thank you for coming." The sound of a woman's thick accent entered my ears, snapping me from my daydreaming state. I looked towards the geisha, we guessed. An Oiran in a beautiful kimono stepped through to greet us with a smile that was somehow both dazzling and demure. Her skin was as white as porcelain, with soft red highlights. Her lips looked soft and full, and her hair shone in the light like yards of fine silk. For a moment, I stared in awe of her beauty, my own sex forgotten. Something flickered in her eyes, but it was gone almost immediately. Then she smiled, and it was like watching a flower bloom. I felt a small blush linger on my own cheeks. "I am Kimigiku, and I will be entertaining you tonight. Please, enjoy yourselves. Food will be arriving shortly."

Indeed it had, and once the food had arrived the party truly began. "Man, expensive sake is way different! It just goes down too smooth!" Heisuke said from beside me.

"You haven't even touched your food, Heisuke!" Nagakura said. "If you drink on an empty stomach, you'll get drunk before you even have a chance to enjoy it!"

"Whatever. You know how often I get booze this good? Never! Filling up on food'd just be a waste of stomach space!" Heisuke argued back.

"You sound like a bum. Just drink up." Harada said his calm smile on his face as always.

"Hey, just 'cause you drink like there's a hole in your stomach doesn't mean the rest of us can," Heisuke said with a grin. I smiled slightly, continuing to eat my food besides Heisuke.

"You havin' fun, Chiaki?" Nagakura asked me. "Doesn't look like you're drinking much."

"Oh, I can't drink, so I'm just enjoying the food," I told him with a small smile.

"Oh, right. Well, make sure you eat a lot of it, then!" Nagakura said, with a grin and thumbs up. I smiled and nodded in agreement. "We're here to have a good time, so it'd be a damn shame if you didn't have fun."

"Thanks..." I said softly with a tiny smile gracing my features. Still, it was the first time I'd ever eaten anything so expensive. ...Although to be honest, I couldn't really taste much of a difference.

"I've heard rumors that the men of the Shinsengumi were like demons and monsters, but from where I sit you look a good deal more handsome than that. Almost like an actor." Kimigiku said as she buttered Hijikata up a bit.

"...Yeah, I get that a lot." Kimigiku and Hijikata chatted easily while she poured him his sake, looking almost too beautiful to be real- like they'd stepped out of a painting. Next to someone like her, any woman would have felt rather plain. I was no exception, and dressing like a boy certainly wasn't helping. I looked down at the white hakama pants and the baby blue colored top of a kimono I wore for a second.

"Still can't believe they gave all this cash just for protecting a board," Nagakura said. "I mean hell... Imagine how much you would've got if you'd caught all of 'em! How did they get away, actually? You said there were only eight. That should've been pretty manageable."

"Yeah! What's up with that?!" Heisuke joined in, eager to know the reason, too. "I mean, you surrounded 'em, didn't you? How'd they get away? And how'd the guys you actually caught escape?"

Harada fell oddly silent, his face slipping into a frown. He stayed that way for a moment or two, then looked inexplicably, at me. "Chiaki, did you or Chizuru go anywhere that night?"

"What...?" I hesitated, unsure of what he was getting at. I shook my head. "No, we didn't go anywhere... Why?"

"You're sure. You didn't go anywhere that night?" He asked once again, serious as ever.

I nodded, again. "Yes. I am very sure. We've never left the compound alone, ever." Again he fell silent, the same frown crossing his face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Nagakura asked. Harada didn't look up.

When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "Maybe it was just a mistake. There hadn't been the moon that night. It was dark. No... no, I saw her up close. There's no way I made a mistake..."

"Um... Harada-san? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. At last, he looked up, straight into my eyes.

"After we'd surrounded the Tosa men who'd tried to take down the notice board... This...girl showed up. She looked just like you and Chizuru. Got in our way. Because of her, our whole formation fell apart."

"What?" The whole room had gone silent. Harada barely spoke above a whisper, but ever one of us could hear him perfectly. A girl who looked just like me, who wasn't Chizuru? What did he mean?

"Well...like they say, shit happens! But tonight, Sano's payin', so let's drink till the sun comes up!" Nagakura said, trying to break the awkwardness in the room as best he can.

"Seconded! Time to find out just how much of this stuff I can handle!" I laughed nervously at his proclamation. I don't think that's a very good, or smart, idea, but... oh well... In just a few minutes, Heisuke and Nagakura had the party back in full swing, but I couldn't get my mind off what Harada has said.

I shouldn't tell Chizuru, I thought, it would only get her more worried, and I didn't want her to do that. When she gets worried, it gets a bit too much out of hand. It's better only I know about this... I'd never left the compound on my own since the time I'd first met the Shinsengumi, same with Chizuru.

Then...what had he seen? I felt... To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to feel. I hadn't gotten in Harada's way, of course- there was no way I could have... But I felt bad. Someone who looked just like me had made things more difficult for the Shinsengumi. I didn't know who she was, but our shared appearance made me feel...responsible, somehow.

Who was this strange girl?

"You worried about what Sano said?" Okita asked me.

"Oh! Um...yes, I am." I said, taken from my thoughts and startled by Okita's sudden voice. "I was wondering how someone could look just like Chizuru and me."

"Maybe you got possessed." Was Okita's reply. "Whenever you're sleeping, a restless spirit takes over your body, and you wander the streets of Kyoto, totally oblivious."

"Do you really think that's what happened?" I asked. Maybe he was right; maybe I was the culprit. I was puzzling that over my head when he burst into peals of laughter.

"Ha ha ha! Oh man... I'm just joking, kid. People don't really get possessed." He said, looking at me as if I was stupid.

"Wh-What? You were kidding...?" His laughter grew even louder, and I watched with flustered indignation as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Oh man... I'm sorry. Seriously, though. Just think about what Sano said for a minute. You remember that girl we met out on patrol with Heisuke? The one who looked just like you and Chizuru?" I nodded.

"Oh..." Of course! The girl who Okita had said I bore a striking resemblance to. I'd almost forgotten about her. Her name was... Kaoru, I think, yeah, that's it. Nagumo Kaoru. "Do you think she was the one who kept Harada from capturing all the Tosa men?" I asked.

"Well, I can't say or sure, but it seems a lot more likely than there being a fourth girl in Kyoto who looks just like you." Okita said.

"But...she was just a normal girl," I muttered, not believing for some weird reason that she was capable of that. I was so naïve. "She didn't look like the kind of person who would try to sabotage the Shinsengumi..."

"Haven't you ever heard you can't judge a book by its cover? Maybe she just wanted you to think that. There's no way to know what she might be capable of." Okita said, and I nodded. He was right. "Besides, there isn't a person in Kyoto who doesn't know what the board represents." There was no doubt in his voice.

"What would you do if the girl was the same one who Harada saw?" I asked curiously as to his own response. I had already made my mind that I would wait and see if I could find a reason to not trust Kaoru, so now I was just being curious.

"Oh, you already know the answer to that, don't you Chiaki? I'd kill her, of course. She might be a girl, but an enemy is an enemy." He said, with that sly smile of his. I nodded, as if unaffected. I wasn't. This is Okita Souji, we're talking about, the captain of the Shinsengumi's 1st Division.

"I need to go use the facilities..." I muttered. I just, for some reason, couldn't bear to stay in that room any longer. Maybe Chizuru was right. Maybe I should have just stayed back at the compound with her...

Were the girl we'd seen and the one who'd interrupted Harada be one and the same? If she was interfering with the Shinsengumi on purpose, did that mean that she was an imperialist? Or was she simply doing it for her own enjoyment? After all, there wasn't a person in Kyoto who didn't know the name of the Shinsengumi. She had to know what would happen to her if she challenged them.

"There you are. I'd wondered where you'd gone off to." Hijikata brought me back into reality. "Something wrong? The food not your thing?"

"No, no. It's wonderful! The food, I mean! It's...it's something else."

"You're worried about the girl Harada saw." He said.

"Er..."There was no hiding my thoughts from him, it seemed.

"Don't worry about it, alright?" He said with a smile. I nodded.

"Okay..." We went back into the room, and Harada came up to me.

"...Look, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have said anything." Harada apologized. "It's not like I think you did it or anything. I mean, why would you? It wouldn't make any sense."

"No, no it's not like that! I'm fine! Please, don't worry about me. I know for sure that I was at the temple that night. No matter now much this other person looked like me, I know she wasn't... me. Besides, I don't think I could even get to Sanjo Ohashi without one of you guys..."

Harada grinned and gave me a short laugh. "You're telling me you still haven't figured that out? And you've been coming on patrol with us for how long?"

"Well, a long time, yes, but... All of the streets look the same! And there aren't any landmarks to help me out... You don't think it's hard to find your way around Kyoto?" I asked.

"Yeah, guess it would be kinda silly to think you'd actually got it figured out yet."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" I exclaimed, face slightly burning with embarrassment. I was about to continue that line of questioning when a thought struck me. "Oh! Heisuke..."

"Yeah? What's up?" He asked.

"Do you think maybe the girl Harada's talking about is the one we met? Okita told me it was a possibility, so I wanted to hear your opinion about the subject. You remember? Her name was Kaoru. We met her when we were out on patrol with Okita."

"Oh yeah!" He smacked his leg heartily, making a great show of remembering the encounter, but his smile quickly warped into a frown. "Souji thought the three of you looked like triplets or something, but I didn't really buy it..."

"Well, yes, but..." He was right. In fact, Okita had teased him mercilessly about it. Perhaps it didn't mean what Okita and I suspected it did... I was deep in thought when Harada spoke up.

"What're you talking about? She someone you know?" Harada asked, confused.

"Eh, not really 'know.' We met this girl on patrol. Souji thought she looked like Chiaki and Chizuru" Heisuke explained, gesturing to me. "Although, I didn't really think so. Chizuru, maybe, because of the hair color, but Chiaki's hair is darker, and her skin is paler. She also has bigger doe-like eyes than the other two." I blushed, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks at Heisuke's comment. "Plus, Chiaki and Chizuru were dressed like guys! This girl was, dressed like a girl."

That was true too: I'd been disguised as a man, same with Chizuru, but Kaoru had been wearing a woman's kimono. But did Heisuke only think we didn't look alike because of how we'd been dressed, at least, for Chizuru?

Harada seemed to take my silence as a prompt for his input. He sighed. "I don't know about this girl... But I do know that Heisuke doesn't exactly have a good eye for ladies." He smirked.

"HAH?! Wadda ya mean by that?!" Heisuke exclaimed. Harada shot back a clever retort, and then they were off; bickering playfully back and forth like children. I watched them yell and gesticulate, but my mind was elsewhere.

Perhaps my face and Kaoru's did look similar. But if it had been her, then what had been her purpose in impeding Harada? Anyone who lived in Kyoto would have known who the Shinsengumi were, and what that board represented, just as Okita-san said.

I suddenly felt Harada's hand on my shoulder. "Well, they say that there are three other people in the world who look like you. So I'd say it's a littler early to nail her down as the culprit, right?" I didn't know if there were really three other people out there with my face, but he had a point.

To all appearances, she was just a normal girl. I couldn't imagine someone like her deciding to mess with the Shinsengumi and then just disappear into the night. "Tell me more about this girl," Saito said. Saito had a drink in his hand but looked as calm and serious as ever.

"Oh. Well... While we were out on patrol a while ago, we met a girl named Kaoru. She looked a lot like Chizuru and me, and, um..." Saito listened quietly but looked up into my eyes when I finished, his face tense.

"This can't be a coincidence. We should find and question this girl." Saito said. "After all, even if she looked harmless, appearances mean nothing." I nodded. Why argue with him? "Are you sure that was the first time you met her?"

"Yes..." I nodded. "Okita-san thought she looked just like me, although Heisuke didn't agree..."

"And you're sure you have no relatives in Kyoto? It's hard to believe such a similar face is just a coincidence."

"You mean... could she be related to me?" I asked, unsure of where this was going. "If I had relatives here, I think Father would have told us to contact them, not Doctor Matsumoto."

"Hm. I see." He didn't look entirely convinced, but apparently, I'd said enough because he asked me no more questions.

"Well, now that we've had enough to drink, I think it's time for the main event!" Harada exclaimed.

"Yeah! Go for it, Sano! I've been waiting for this all night!" Nagakura exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Right on! Alright guys, pay attention! This stomach is not a common, run-of-the-mill stomach! Oh no! For this stomach knows that taste of a blade!" Harada-quite drunk by now- pulled open his shirt with a lopsided grin of pride and pointed at the ugly scar that crossed his belly.

The Oiran feigned polite interest. Nagakura gave a hoot of laughter. "Hey, that's nothing to brag about! Some punk said you were just a thug who didn't have the balls to cut himself open, and you just had to prove him wrong, didn't ya?"

"Of course I did! I'm a man! Gotta defend my honor." Harada said.

"That wasn't real smart, Sano-san. What were ya gonna do if you actually killed yourself?" Heisuke asked from beside me.

"Well, I figured I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. I mean, a samurai is always looking for a way to die. Or not." Harada said in a carefree manner.

"Well then, to honor your, uh, honor..." From out of nowhere, Nagakura produced a brush and its accompanying ink and began to draw on Harada's stomach.

"Hey! Whadda ya think you're doin'?!" Harada exclaimed.

"It's such an amazing scar... You're really lucky there, Sano...You treat it good, maybe some day it'll give you a bunch of little baby scars!" Nagakura taunted.

"It's a scar, you idiot! Not a girl!" Harada exclaimed.

"Ahahahahah! Oh man! I can't take it!" Heisuke laughed, next to me, leaning on my shoulder for support as he pounded one hand on the mat next to him, the other one holding onto my shoulder for dear support. "Every time you talk, it moves! It's like a mouth!"

Apparently, that was hilarious to Heisuke, who proceeded to double up on himself in laughter, clutching onto my forearm and shoulder for dear life and face red with mirth. "Oh, Harada-san..." I sighed. The three of them cavorted and tumbled around the room like children, and in spite of myself, I too, began to laugh a bit.


	21. Chapter 21

The party lasted until morning. I had fallen asleep and had woken up to find some of them still partying, so I walked back home with Heisuke, who was done as well with the sake and food and partying, for a while.

There was a lot for me to worry about, not the least of which was my possibly evil doppelganger. But I found it impossible to feel sorry for myself amidst all of that good cheer. So I had forgotten about the topic temporarily after when Harada had his stomach drawn on.

It was new year's end, and I was outside in the cold weather sweeping the compound. Chizuru was out of patrols with the divisions today. "Phew... Well, that should do it." I said while wiping my forehead with my arm.

I wanted to help out as much as I could, but since they still refused to let me out without an escort, there wasn't a great deal I could do besides cleaning or chores. Still, I had helped make our home clean, and that felt good. Hopefully, they'd like it, too.

"Cleaning, I see. You're certainly hard at work." Kondo-san commented, walking by towards me.

"Oh, hello Kondo-san." I smiled. "It's really gotten cold lately, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has indeed. I've been in Kyoto a while now, but I still can't get used to the weather." Kondo-san admitted. He rubbed his hands together and blew on them, in a mostly vain attempt to warm them up.

"I've picked up a bunch or dead leaves, so I was thinking about roasting potatoes later," I said. "Would you like some? They'll warm you up." I offered with a small smile.

Kondo gave me a little, wry smile. "Roasted potatoes, huh? I used to enjoy that. A long time ago..."

"Oh..." I flushed with embarrassment. Kondo was a busy man- management of the Shinsengumi was not easy. A man like that didn't have time for roasting potatoes. "You're been really busy lately. I hope you're taking care of yourself." I told him.

"Hmm? Oh, right... Well, if I'm busy, then that means that the Shinsengumi is needed. It's an honor." Kondo replied. That was just like Kondo-san.

"True. Very true." I smiled, looking up at the sky.

In the last several weeks, Kondo and Hijikata had left the temple often to go meet with important shogunate officials. They probably scarcely had time to breathe, let alone relax. At the moment, almost as if my thoughts had summoned him, Hijikata appeared.

"There you are, Kondo-san," Hijikata said.

"Oh, Toshi. Where were you? I was looking for you." Kondo said, turning to the young man. "They've chosen the next shogun. It's going to be Lord Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi."

Hijikata's brow furrowed to what I wouldn't have hesitated to describe as a glower. "Him, huh? Well, let's hope he lived up to the rumors."

"Must you find a dark side to everything?" Kondo asked.

"Who is Lord Hitotsubashi?" I asked, curious because I could have sworn I heard them talk about this man before. I had a vague memory that he was the commander of the shogunate forces during the Battle of Hamaguri Gate, but Kondo gave me a quick explanation of the rest.

"They say he is very intelligent; some even going so far as to call him the second coming of Lord Ieyasu." He glanced over at Hijikata, perhaps looking for corroboration. He found none. "At any rate, he has a quick mind, and the emperor trusts him. How could he be a poor choice?" There was a certain pride in Kondo's voice, almost as if he were talking about a friend of a brother.

If what he said was true, though, then perhaps this Shogun would be able to unite the shogunate and the imperial court and overcome the crisis that was destroying our nation. "All right, he's smart. I'll give him that."

"Then what's the problem?" Kondo asked.

"Forget it. Doesn't really matter who the Shogun is to us anyway. We're just here to fight for him." Hijikata said. Kondo nodded.

"That's right. If we do our best, that means the Shogun and the shogunate are safe and secure." Kondo smiled. He kept his tone carefully light, perhaps in an attempt to sway Hijikata, but to no avail.

Only twenty days after Lord Yoshinobu had been officially inaugurated as the new shogun, the emperor passed away. It was especially hard on the emperor's younger sister, Kazunomiya, who had been married to Lord Iemochi and was intended to be a symbol of Imperial Unification, but everyone on both sides was shocked by his death.

He was succeeded by the Imperial Prince; a young boy of only 15 years. In the turmoil, the activities of the Choshu Domain went uninvestigated...

The entire country of Japan found itself thrust into rapid motion.

. . .

 **A/N: Sorry it is so short.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 3 - Episode 22 - March 1867

The seasons changed and spring came. Kyoto was filled with the cherry blossoms, and the whole city took on a festive atmosphere. Surrounded by the gentle cheer of spring, my footsteps felt somehow lighter. Okita watched me and Chizuru prance about with a crooked smile.

"You don't need to hurry. We aren't going anywhere in particular." Okita told us suddenly. "Just think of it as a nice, relaxing walk."

I nodded before Chizuru spoke. "...Okay. We'll be careful." It seemed to us that it was dangerous for a captain of the Shinsengumi to think that when he was out on patrol, but we didn't dare say anything to Okita. Just looking at each other, Chizuru and I knew we shared these thoughts. Then again, things had been pretty quiet lately. Perhaps he was right. No, I told myself, I had to focus. Now was not the time or place for high spirits! Nearby, I noticed a few ronin who slunk off into the side streets at the first glimpse of the Shinsengumi. "How suspicious..." Chizuru mumbled, while my eyes narrowed slightly.

Why run away unless they knew they were guilty of something? I stared at them intently, but not so much as Chizuru. It must have looked as if Chizuru was about to give a chase because Okita gave a bark of laughter when he saw Chizuru. "Don't waste your energy on them. They're small potatoes."

"Really?" Chizuru asked while we both stared up at Okita. My gaze had been a lot more emotionless and blank, but Chizuru was the same old girl I'd known for years- since birth, really.

"If they were Choshu guys, then they wouldn't just run off like that. They'd be more confident." Okita explained. "The guys who take off like that when we show up are almost always just small-time punks."

"I see..." Chizuru mumbled, looking down in thought for a second. I got it, but I knew Chizuru didn't. She really isn't the brightest shining star in the sky when it comes to some things.

"They're probably guilty of something; maybe some minor crime. But the blues scare off a lot of people these days." Okita further explained, noticing Chizuru really didn't get it.

"Tha uniform's gotten pretty famous around Kyoto, hasn't it?" I mused with a slight smile. It was good for the Shinsengumi to have made a name for themselves, though it may not have been the most pleasant to some.

"Well, could be infamous, depending on who you ask." He said lightly, though sharing a small smile as the three of us walked together. It was true, though: The Shinsengumi blues brought recognition, but that was a double-edged sword. Sometimes they commanded obedience or respect, but sometimes the response was... less pleasant.

Their uniform had become a symbol, but there was some argument among the Shinsengumi as to whether or not they should adopt a new uniform. Some people, such as Itou, just felt that the uniform should be changed because it wasn't fashionable... Speaking of Itou... "Is Itou back from the imperial territories yet?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, I think so. Can't say I'd have minded if he'd just stayed out there, though." Okita crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"He went to go recruit some of his friends and acquaintances, right?" Chizuru asked.

"That's what he says, but I gotta wonder how far he really went, you know?" Okita opinionated, questioning the man in the topic with a sigh.

"How far? What do you mean? If he went out past the imperial territories, then he must really care about the Shinsengumi, right?" Chizuru asked, and I wanted to smack myself in the face. Ah, Chizuru, stupid, cute, adorable, little Chizuru. Even I realized what Okita had meant, and I was more innocent than you- then again, I have been spending way too much time with Heisuke, Harada, and Nagakura lately...

"That's what you think?" He smirked, glancing down at Chizuru.

"Am I wrong?" She questioned.

"No, not really." He said, before stopping abruptly and gazing off into space for a moment. When he spoke, it was to himself, but I still heard it. "Kondo-san's too nice. He should just kill Itou."

"Okita-san!" Chizuru scolded, while I sighed, shaking my head. He had a tendency to talk of killing too easily, and too lightly, but... I honestly wouldn't care if he died or not. "How could you joke about killing one of your companions?" Chizuru asked, obviously not sharing neither my opinion nor Okita's.

He let his eyes slide to Chizuru's, and gave a small sigh. "A companion, huh?" He mused quietly. The scorn in his voice wasn't for Chizuru or me; it was for Itou. Ever since he had first arrived, Okita and the rest of the captains never seemed to like Itou much, but I was surprised that he would say something like that where anyone could have heard. I bet Chizuru must have felt the same, for she glanced around to make sure no one had been paying attention-

"What?" She breathed out. I traced her line of vision, and saw there, in the crowd...

A face we had seen before. Kaoru. Wait, what?! Kaoru?! The face that looked back could have easily been Chizuru's and mine. There was no way I could have ever mistaken that face. But no sooner than we'd seen her then she disappeared, melting into the crowd. "Kaoru!" Chizuru called out.

"Hey!" Okita and I said, trying to make a grab for her as she dashed off towards the direction we'd once seen Kaoru in. Okita and I made a grab for her arms, but she'd already moved out of our reach. I silently cursed in my mind.

"Sorry Okita-san, Chi-chan! There's something I have to do!" She called out behind her, towards us, before facing forward and continuing to weave through the crowd to find Kaoru. She had caught a glimpse of our confused and frustrated faces as she ducked into the crowd. He looked at me and I shrugged.

"How many times do I have to tell her not to run off without permission... Why can't she look at this from my point of view?" He asked me and himself and once again, I shrugged. I had no clue. The mind of Chizuru was something I had not yet been able to fully understand.

Okita had followed her, while I trailed along, not really paying attention. I had been pulled back into reality when Okita had started to cough. "Okita-san?! A-Are you okay?!" Chizuru exclaimed. He was bent nearly double and coughing uncontrollably, his entire body shaking with each cough.

"Okita?" I stepped closer and reached out to place a hand on his back, but hesitated. I that moment, he stuck his hand out, telling us to stay back. He twisted his face upwards to give us a nasty glare. It was the sheer force of his personality that stopped us, not just his words.

Although, the glare did contribute to it for me a little. After a while, his coughing slowed, then subsided entirely. "Okita-san, if something wrong?" Chizuru asked.

"Like what?" He asked, his composure nearly regained. When he turned to look at us, his sardonic half-smile was back. He looked every part the usual Okita, except that he had grown frighteningly pale.

"I mean.." Chizuru trailed off. "Why don't we find somewhere to rest? You looked like you were in a lot of pain."

"Oh, I was just tired. I mean, you did make Chiaki-chan and me run all the way here," he said, pointing out that she'd run off without permission- again. She seemed to hesitate, reluctant, but Okita assured her. Sort of. "No buts. I'm fine. Now..." He trailed off. His expression was suddenly hard as he looked at Chizuru. "About the girl. Asking her about the thing with the notice board was important. I agree with you. But even- no because of how important that is, you shouldn't have run off on your own like that. What if she had been an enemy of ours? Could you have handled her? Did you even consider that possibility? That she'd planned to lure you here? It's a great spot for an ambush, you know." He continued to scold her and I looked down. I hated scolding's, even if I wasn't the one being scolded.

Chizuru looked down and nodded. "...You're right."

"You need to be more careful, all right? I can take care of you, but without me or Chiaki around you're just a useless kid." Okita continued.

"Sorry..." Chizuru said. The Shinsengumi had done so much for us, that I knew Chizuru just wanted to give something back... but this wasn't the smartest thing to do. Instead, she'd only just caused more trouble for them.

"..." After a slight pause, Okita sighed. "All right, lecture's over." Okita looked tired, and more than a little frustrated- though I didn't blame him. When Chizuru had tried to apologize again, he cut her off. "Stop being too timid. You can rely on us when you need to." He said, glancing at me for a second, too, and I nodded. "I've gotten pretty used to saving you ass at this point." He looked at Chizuru again. "A couple more times isn't going to mean much." He let out a snort of laughter and I sighed softly.

That night, I had been sleeping soundly, until a sudden noise woke me from my sleep. "What?!" I gasped softly, hearing Chizuru's exclamation. There was a crash from the hallway outside of my room. I rolled up and out of bed with Chizuru just as the door exploded into our room.

Standing in the hole was one of the Shinsengumi's soldiers. "Um... Is something wrong?" I asked softly as Chizuru hid behind me, clinging to my clothes. It was dark, inside and out, and I couldn't quite see his face.

He just...stood there. I felt a chill run up my spine. "Did you need something?" My voice shook, although I had tried to make my voice firm.

"Blood... I need blood..." He said, unsheathing his sword. I felt my sister and I gasp in shock. He was one of the Corps members! He was a fury! He giggled creepily, telling us to give him blood. As if we'd do that!

I could see now that his face was twisted in madness, and his eyes shone like twin fires in the night. His hair glistened white in the moonlight. He was a member of the Fury Corps, and he was utterly and completely mad.

We had to call for help! I couldn't possibly face a deranged superhuman monster on my own, and neither could Chizuru. Even with my skills in the sword, I still wasn't on the captain's level. No- wait. I couldn't call for help. If I did, then the secret of the furies would get out. It was all my decision, however, because Chizuru was too paralyzed in fear to do much, let alone make the decision for me. That would be bad for the Shinsengumi. I had to find another way.

The fury, unfortunately, was not similarly encumbered by doubts or paralyzed by fear. I gasped out and cried softly in pain after his sword hissed through the air, and I felt the metal of its blade burn into the flesh of my arm. Chizuru screamed slightly, but not loud enough o wake the others.

Blood sprang from my cut. I pressed down on it desperately with my free hand, but to no avail. Thick, red liquid spilled between my fingers, dripping down my arm, and onto the floor. "Yesss... blood... Give me blood..." He began to creep toward the two of us, his movements odd and jerky, like a massive spider. We backed away from him until I felt my back hit the wall, Chizuru next to me. We were going to die!

Suddenly, I remembered Okita's words from earlier that day...

"Stop being so timid. You can rely on us when you need to."

That was it, then. My death wasn't worth their secret. "Someone! Help!" I cried out, louder than before.

The fury laughed out psychotically, exclaiming the word blood over and over again. He was down on his hands and knees, licking my spilled blood off the floor. There was no samurai there. there wasn't even a person in him anymore. The blood on the floor had distracted him, but I knew that would only last precious seconds. If help didn't arrive soon... then Chizuru and I surely wouldn't be alive anymore.

The seconds went by like hours. Please, I begged to any god who might be listening, let someone come. "Not enough... no enough!" He said, looking up from the floor. My sleeve was soaked in blood from the cut on my arm. His eyes locked onto it, and I saw them light up with animal hunger. His grin was a nightmarish thing, as he crawled over to me, ripping the sleeve off. I struggled, but it was no use. By now, Chizuru had blacked out from the fear and horror. He crawled on top of me, pinning me down and licking the blood, sucking on the cut for more. "That's it... give me your blood!"

"Nooo!" I thrashed and kicked around helplessly. There was no doubt" He was going to kill me. I froze-

"Oi! You alive?!" Hijikata's voice suddenly rang out.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. Hijikata appeared in the doorway, his sword already drawn and shining in the moonlight. The fury jumped off of me and spun to attack Hijikata, but the vice commander's sword was faster.

The fury's twisted cry reverberated from the walls of the room, but he still stood, despite the wound Hijikata had given him, sword in hand. "Get over here, now!" I nodded, before moving to drag my unconscious sister to where I was instructed to go.

As I ran to his side, I heard other footsteps, pounding down the hallway, and in mere moments, they resolved into the figures of the other captains. "Shit, this is bad. I don't think he can even understand us." Nagakura cursed out profanities.

"Yeah. He's too far gone. We can't let him live." Harada added. At some unspoken signal, a chorus of blades slid from their scabbards, and I tensed more when I felt arms wrap themselves around me, pulling me more away from the scene. I looked over and saw Heisuke, causing me to relax.

"Are you alright?" He asked, and I nodded, leaning into him as his arms tightened around my petite form. He looked back at Nagakura and Harada. "Shinpatsu-san! Sano-san! Don't screw this up!"

"Who do you think we are, Heisuke?" Harada asked, positioning himself with his spear. Nagakura doing the same with his katana.

"If a captain can't take out a simple soldier, even if he is a furry, he'd have to resign. Assuming he wasn't dead." Nagakura said. They fanned out quickly, surrounding the wounded soldier. There was no escape. The captains, aside from Heisuke, all attacked at once, and the fury died almost instantly.

The excitement was over. Or so I'd thought. But it hadn't been only the captains who'd heard my cry for help. "What's going on here?!" Itou's shrill and panicked voice rang out. Hijikata cursed under his breath. "What on Earth happened to that man?! Oh, this room has been stained with blood! How savage!" His voice and face were filled with both shock and horror. "Why have our captains cut down one of their own men? Explain this at once! What happened here?!"

The captains all fell silent. "My apologies. My lack of discipline is at fault here." Sanan said, suddenly appearing. NO! What is he doing?! I gasped out his name. His appearance surprised me, and likely everyone else. It seemed like it would have been more prudent for him to remain hidden...

Needless to say, the appearance of a man he'd thought dead did little to improve Itou's disposition. "S-S-S-Sanan-san?! What are you doing here?!" Itou's usual composure was almost entirely gone, and he gaped openly at Sanan. I couldn't really blame him. I probably would have down much the same thing if I saw a dead man walking and talking.

"I will explain later, but first we must clean up this mess," Sanan said, his face looking tight and drained. As the commander of the Fury Corps, he likely felt responsible for what had happened, as the man who had gone mad was supposed to have been under his control.

"It's not your fault, Sanan-san," Nagakura said, his arms crossed.

"It's just a side effect of the treatment, right? Nothing you could do." Heisuke said as he was still holding me close to him.

"Wh-What?! What are you saying?! 'Treatment'? What are they talking about, Sanan-san?!" Itou questioned.

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge that information," Sanan said calmly. His gaze slid to Itou for a moment, but he said nothing further. After all, what could he possibly say? How could one admit that they had been creating inhuman monsters in secret, out of one's own soldiers? By now, Chizuru had been awakened, and she stood quietly next to Heisuke and me.

Itou's composure regained at last, and he leveled a glare at Sanan. "I was told that Sanan had passed away, and with no reason to doubt that information I believed that was told. I see now that you have all conspired against me. I am the Deputy Commander of the Shinsengumi! To do all of... this without informing me... I dearly hope you have a satisfactory explanation!"

"If all you're gonna do is be a bitch, why don't you do us all a favor and shut up?" Hijikata spoke up, obviously irritated.

"What?! How dare you speak to me in such a manner! Hijikata, you-!" Itou was- thankfully- cut off by Kondo.

"Calm down now, Itou-san... I'm sure Toshi didn't mean to snap. We're just all a little on edge right now. You have to understand..."

"Oh, I understand all right! I understand that you are savages, each and every one of you! I cannot abide the company of such uncivilized cretins any longer!" Itou exclaimed. He was totally not living up to the calm part. "And for you, Sanan-san, when you are finished here I expect t hear why you are not, in fact, deceased, and why this was hidden from me!"

"Ugh..." Sanan-san groaned quietly under his breath so Itou wouldn't hear.

"Are you listening to me, Sanan-san?!" Itou exclaimed, and I flinched at the tone of voice. It was too loud. Heisuke's grip on my tightened comfortingly, and he glanced from Itou to Sanan-san nervously. Sanan, however, started to groan in pain.

"Sanan-san?" Chizuru mumbled. Suddenly, I realized he wasn't just being dismissive of Itou; there was something very wrong with him. His face was twisted in pain, and he didn't seem to respond at all, no matter how much Chizuru shouted his name.

"What's wrong, Sanan-san?" Nagakura questioned cautiously.

"Sanan-san, uh..." Chizuru took a step closer, on impulse.

"Chizuru! Get back!" Hijikata exclaimed. Sanan's hair began to turn white. His eyes glowing red. By the time Chizuru had realized what was happening, it was too late. Sanan's hand shot out like an angry snake and closed around Chizuru's wrist. There were hints of blood on her and she had also been slightly cut, though not as bad as me.

Just like the other fury, he seemed to be possessed. They tried to call out to him, but he was unresponsive. Hijikata yelled at Heisuke to get me out of here and they'll take care of things, and with not much left said, Heisuke and I ran out, towards his own room.

When we got there, we were a panting mess. I was too frazzled, worried over my sister to think straight. I started panicking, pacing, and rambling after getting my cut bandaged, though I knew it would heal by morning. "Hey! Calm down, Chiaki-chan. You'll be fine. Your sister will be fine. Don't worry. Have some faith in them, okay?" I nodded, and hugged Heisuke, letting some tears fall from my face. He smiled softly, petting my head, before running his hand through my hair. "Now, let's get you changed out of these clothes and into some clean ones."

I nodded, and he went over to his stuff, before pulling out a yukata that had a soft texture in the fabric and was a light blue color. He turned away as I changed into it, but the collar would always slip off. He laughed softly, smiling, before coming over to help me fix it. I stared into his face as he fixed it before he looked back into my eyes, and something seemed to have sparked inside of them.

Slowly, without realizing it, the two of us leaned in, his arms wrapping themselves around my waist, mine clutching onto the fabric of his haori. Our lips had nearly connected-merely close to brushing against each other- when the footsteps pounded down the hall, and we broke apart. Not long later, Harada and Nagakura slid the door open.

"Hey. We came to check on you two." Harada said.

"How is Sanan-san? Where's Chizuru?" I asked immediately, trying to force down the blush of embarrassment while my heart pounded in my chest as if it was about to burst from me.

"He's stabilized. She's fine. She's sleeping in Hijikata's room right now." I nodded at Nagakura's short explanation, as it was all I needed to know.

"Okay, thank you for checking up on me." I bowed. They assured me it was fine, before leaving. I sighed in relief, before turning to Heisuke who had been relatively silent for that short conversation.

"Are you okay, Chiaki-chan?" He asked. And I nodded, telling him that as long as Chizuru was safe, so would I. He smiled, before bringing me into a hug, gently embracing me in his arms.

When he parted, he grinned his signature grin. "Now, you should get some sleep." I nodded and tucked myself into the bedding. "I'm going to go check on-" I grabbed his wrist as he was turning, but not standing yet.

"Please, don't go. Don't leave me alone." I said, softly in a whisper.

He smiled, and nodded, before moving so he was laying next to me, holding me close. As we laid there, Heisuke whispered to me, "Never."

"Hm?" I asked nearly half-asleep.

"I'd never leave you, Chiaki." I sobered up and looked at him in surprise. _What?_

I felt a smile dancing on my lips as they circled upwards. "Thanks, Heisuke," I said softly, smiling as I fell asleep in Heisuke's arms. I think... I think I love him...


	23. Chapter 23

The sun was peeking through the window, and outside I could hear the twitters and chirps of birdsong. I sighed softly, before shifting and turning in my bed. I was expecting to be met with another person, that person being Heisuke, but I was pleasantly surprised- and slightly disappointed- to find that I was alone in this room...

He must have woken up earlier or something... I mused inside my head. I knew the room I was in wasn't mine. It was Heisuke's. But I at least had a slight hope I'd be met with him when I woke up. I sighed as I sat up and looked around.

Suddenly, the moments of last night, the feelings I'd felt, the pain I felt, the anxiety I felt, they all rushed back to me. I saw, vividly, the man who'd gone mad with bloodlust; felt the sting as his sword bit into my arm and ran through it.

I looked down at my arm silently. I'd wrapped it in bandages the night before, with the help of Heisuke. Slowly, I lifted it, then moved it in a circle. The cut had bled a lot, but fortunately, it hadn't been particularly deep. Sighing, I moved my arm some more. It didn't hurt. "It bled so much, though..." I murmured to myself.

With deliberate care, I unwrapped the bandages. "...Of course..." I sighed, uttering bitterly, as I stared at my arm with scorn. What had been an ugly, open wound the night before was now little more than a faint, white line.

In a few days, even that would be gone...

"Well, I guess it's good that the wound is gone, but if anyone sees this..." I trailed off my whispered conversation with myself. After some thought, I rewrapped the bandages. Unless they took them off, no one would know that my arm was completely healed underneath.

That reminded me, however... How were they doing? How was Chizuru doing? I was awake, so I figured I might as well go out to the common room and see if anyone was there. On the way there, I was met with Chizuru, who had been in Hijikata's room. She seemed slightly better but was still a little spooked from the night before. As we neared the entrance, Itou appeared, on his way out. Heisuke and Saito followed in his wake, much to our confusion.

I smiled slightly, although it was strained from the events of last night. "Good morning."

"Oh, it's you. Good morning. I'm glad to see you safe and sound." Ito said, oddly chipper.

"Um, thank you." I bowed slightly. His mood was almost the polar opposite of the previous night; he seemed now to be in rather high spirits. "Has something happened?" I asked, curious.

"Oh ho ho ho! Would you like to know?" Ito replied. I felt myself get a bit irritated. Well, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want to know...

"...Yes." Chizuru answered for me, seeing as I wasn't answering the man any soon. Especially without a sarcastic comment.

"I won't tell you." I felt my eye have the urge to twitch, and I swallowed that urge with my self-restraint. What's left of it at least... The two of us were silent, staring silently at Itou, blankly. "Ha ha ha! Well, you'll learn soon enough! Isn't that right, Toudou-kun? Saito-kun?"

"What...?" Chizuru mumbled, confused. I snapped my eyes to Saito, and then to Heisuke. I stared at him silently, and he did so back for a second, before reverting his eyes. He was acting as if he was guilty of something.

I cocked an eyebrow at them. Why are they acting so weird?- Correction. Why is Heisuke acting so weird? Sati's the same as always...

After what felt like an eternity in silence, Heisuke answered vaguely, "...Yeah, I guess." The second moment our eyes met, he looked away again. This is... odd. Very odd.

"Um... Saito?" Chizuru asked beside me. It wasn't a shock or surprising to me that Chizuru had been closer to Saito, Okita, and Hijikata then I was. It was the same with me when it came to Heisuke, Harada, and Nagakura.

"You two have no need for this information just now," Santo answered coldly. Gee thanks... Unlike his companion, Saito met our gazes straight-on, but his eyes were flat and utterly devoid of any emotion. "We should go, Itou."

"Uh, yeah... See ya, Chiaki-chan. Chizuru-chan." Heisuke replied as if suddenly snapping out a daze. And that's when I realized, he'd been staring into space at me for a while now. His eyes... I thought... They look so sad. So heartbroken. But why? Why was he acting so weird? Why were his eyes holding such a conflicting storm in his teal orbs? What could he feel conflicted about?

And then they were gone, leaving me wondering just what had happened. "Are you sure it's alright for you to be up and about already?" Inoue asked me as soon as I made it to the common room. Inoue and Shimada had looked up as soon as I stepped into the room with Chizuru.

"I'm fine. I slept really well, and I feel a lot better." I answered.

"That's great. I'm sorry about what happened to you, though. Does your cut hurt?" Shimada asked.

"Oh, uh, well... Actually, it wasn't very deep. It barely hurts at all." I answered, half truthfully. I couldn't tell them the truth, of course: that it was already almost completely healed. "Oh, we ran into Itou on our way in. Did something happen?" I asked.

"Ah... So you saw them, eh?" Inoue said sadly, frowning. What? What's that supposed to mean...?

"He said something... weird," Chizuru said.

"And Heisuke was acting kind of strange, too," I added.

"Yeah... Well, apparently, Itou and some others are leaving." It took me a moment to process this, until I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. What? But-! How could Heisuke do this to me? He told me... He told me last night... He'd never leave me...

"They're going to form a new group, different from the Shinsengumi," Inoue explained, but it went right over my head. How could you, Heisuke? I thought. Why are you leaving? Why are you leaving me?

I barely heard their conversation, before running out of the common room towards the direction Heisuke had left in. I needed to hear it from him. I needed to. I don't want him to leave. Not him, too. First Father, and now him? I couldn't accept it. I wouldn't.

It wasn't just the fact that he was leaving me. It was the worried thought that I'd never get to see him again. It was the possibility that the next time we met, he might have to kill me. I didn't know the values of this new group. For all I knew, they could be joining the opposite side of us.

Was this... was this his way of saying goodbye? As I was looking for him, I spotted Yamazaki walking towards me. "I heard you were injured. Are you feeling better?" He asked as he stopped in front of me.

Feeling in a rush, I nodded, fidgeting. "Um, yes, I'm fine. Have you, uh, seen Heisuke?"

"Toudou-san, huh?" He asked, suddenly, his face twisting grimly. It was quite clear about how he felt about the men who'd chosen to leave us.

"Sorry for asking..." I apologized. I turned quickly to leave, but he held out a hand to stop me.

"I saw them going off that way." He pointed. I looked back at him, silently thanking him and he nodded, a small, sad smile on his face. "If you want to speak to them, do it soon. Once they've left, you won't be allowed to talk to them."

So it was as I feared... Once he left, we'd be enemies... I nodded, before running off in the direction they were in. "Heisuke!" I exclaimed, once I saw them.

"Ha ha..." Heisuke laughed nervously. "Well shoot looks like you found us," Heisuke said, joking, but his laugh, his words, they were empty. Hallow. Nothing more than a cover up to his real feelings. I could see it. He was troubled, and he didn't want to say goodbye to me. He didn't want to. But I needed an explanation.

If he was going to leave me, I wanted to know why. For what? "Oh..." I looked down. "Did you want to be left alone? I can go..." Even so, as I approached them, my resolve on finding out was weakening. If he didn't want to talk to me, then... I guess... I guess he really didn't care about me. My face fell at the thought, and I wanted to cry.

I've wanted to cry the moment I found out he was leaving.

"No, no! Of course not!" Heisuke exclaimed suddenly as I was turning away to walk away dejectedly. I turned back to him, tears slightly glazing over my eyes. The wind blew, semi-violently throwing my hair to and fro, blending my dark hair with the sakura petals of the trees around us. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you, too." He said, staring into my eyes this time.

I nodded silently. "Ok. Good..." I whispered. He tried straining a smile for me, but I could tell that the two of us both felt like crying at the moment. I took his hand in mine, our fingers tangling together as I squeezed his hand slightly, before leading the way to a secluded area where we could talk in private.

As soon as we sat down on a bench, hidden from everyone, I asked, "Why? Why are you leaving the Shinsengumi?" I paused as my voice felt like cracking, "Why are you leaving me..?" The last question, I asked in barely a whisper, but he heard me.

"Chiaki.. look..." I wanted to move my hand away from him when he reached out, but I let him take my hands in his once again. "Well, Itou and I are from the same school. He's my senior, obviously. He joined the Shinsengumi at first because I invited him." He started to explain, looking down. "So I feel like I'm kinda... obligated to stick with him, you know? I guess that's it."

Heisuke had always struck me as kind, so it was no surprise that he felt he couldn't abandon Itou. "But..." I started. "But that means you'll leave everyone else behind... You might not ever get to see them again." I paused, feeling his grip slightly tighten on my hands. "That means you'll leave me behind. I thought... I thought you told me you'd never leave me... So, why?" I asked him, tears finally pooling over the edges of my eyes. "Why does everyone leave me...?" I asked to no one as I cried softly, quietly.

I felt him let go of my hands, only to wrap his arms around my slightly shaking body. "Oh... Chiaki..." He sighed softly, sadly. "I don't want to leave you. I swear... If you could come with me, It'd make me the happiest guy in the world. 'Cause I'll have you by my side, and I-" He sighed, pausing. "I really care for you Chiaki, it's just that... I know you won't leave the Shinsengumi for me. You need to look for your father... "

I sniffled, feeling tears continuously sliding down from my eyes down my face. "I know..." I said after a bit. "If you're going to follow him, I won't be able to go with you because I still have to help Chizuru look for a man who abandoned us and could be dead for all we know..." I laughed bitterly.

"I'm not really one of Itou's... followers. I guess you might say, but I was and am a national imperialist. So it just kinda seems like working for somebody like the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb is a better fit for me than working for the shogunate." I wasn't one for politics, so I didn't really understand much of what he'd just said. However, from what I knew, he was right, saying that he felt weird working for the shogunate when his views are completely different from the others.

Then what he was saying was that while he and Kondo might agree on nationalism, they differed too much in regard to the emperor and the shogun. I couldn't really think of anything to say, so I kept my mouth sealed shut. After a moment of staring into his eyes, I said. "I'm sorry... I'm being selfish right now... Your views are different and I... I'm trying to keep you here... Or, more like... I'm hoping you'll stay here and... and I know you want to go, but I just..." I sighed, shaking my head. "Never mind."

"I'd wanted to just stay here, and screw around and have fun with the guys. I wanted to have more times with you. I mean, we've been together for quite a while, right?" His gaze had drifted into the distance, and there was something in his profile that seemed almost heartbreakingly lonely, but his mouth was a hard line. His mind was made up, and I knew it.

I felt the stinging sensation in my eyes rise up once again, and I couldn't bite back or hold back the soft, quiet sob escaping from my lips. First Mother, then Father, and countless friends who've left me because I was different... and now Heisuke? Why? Why is god such a cruel being?

"Please... don't cry, Chiaki..." He screwed up his face in frustration. Heisuke was honest and straightforward, but he didn't have a way with words the way some of the other men did. "Hey, come on... cheer up. I won't be leaving you forever..." Lies. "Maybe I'll try sneaking out to see you or something... or we can both do that to see each other or... or... or we could sneak away during your rounds- no, actually, they'll realize you're gone fast... argh! How do I choose one without leaving the other?!" He clutched his head, and I couldn't contain myself as a small giggle left me.

He froze in his movements and glanced at me, seeing my small smile. His own smile returned slowly onto his face as he lowered his arms and faced me once again. "Hehe..."

"You're so pretty when you smile..." He murmured, his eyelids drooping as he leaned down, closer to me. The gap between us got smaller and smaller, until finally, there was no more space between us. Our lips met softly, as a sweet, longing-filled kiss continued for a few seconds.

After we parted, I sighed softly in bliss. "Please... Promise me you'll look after yourself." I said, smiling sadly, as I found my hands clutching the fabric of his shirt. He nodded slowly, gazing down at me as I look down.

"I will. I promise, Chi." He said, using a smaller version of my name. I smiled down at myself, before looking up at him.

"Heisuke?"

"Yeah, Chi?" He asked.

"I..." I gulped, inhaling shakily. "I... I love you."

His eyes widened, before he smiled, although there was a tinge of sadness and regret in them, and said, "I love you, too, Yukimura Chiaki. And one day, when all of this craziness goes away, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Forever."

I smiled, tears filling and spilling from my eyes once more, "So do I."

"I'm sorry." He says, breaking from my last embrace. "But I have to go."

More tears spilled from my eyes and I nodded sadly. "Ok."

"I'll see you again, Chi. I swear... Bye."

"Bye, Heisuke." And just like that, he was gone.

I cried, as the sakura petals fell around me slowly, patiently allowing me to wallow in my heartbreak and sadness. At that moment, I completely hated the sakura petals around me...

Because it was a reminder. A painful reminder.

It was a painful reminder that this was the day Heisuke left me. It was a painful reminder because it had cherry blossom petals falling and being drifted along by the wind when we met... It was a painful reminder that I may never see him again...

Meeting him was one of my most treasured memories... and now it's been tainted with my utter despair because of this tearful day...

I don't want you to go... but I know I have no other choice or say in the matter...

 **A/N: Okay so... that was sad... Sorry for it being short and shitty. Love ya all who are still reading this.**


	24. Chapter 24

After what felt like hours of wallowing in my own depression as I silently let my tears slip and my sobs to be let out quietly as to not disturb anyone, I felt my eyes dry up as if there were no more tears left to cry. Once I knew I had calmed down, and wouldn't burst in an emotional wreck when I would see the others, I ventured to the well to clean my face up.

Gazing into my reflection, I stared at the girl in the water's mirror in the brown bucket that I had sitting on the wall of the well. The girl's pale skin was stained with tears of loss and heartbreak. Her eyes were red, puffy, swollen from crying her heart out. Her nose was slightly runny and red, and all in all, she was a complete mess.

Sighing, I lowered my head and splashed my face with water, before standing up straight. My face dripped with water, and in all honestly, I wanted the rain to just suddenly appear so I wouldn't have to feel so empty and numb alone. Because then I'd have the rain to accompany me. But of course, the weather wouldn't change for me. It simply wouldn't bend to my will. I wish it did, though...

Making my way back to my room sluggishly, I walked slowly and hung my head slightly, eyes downcast. As soon as I had made it to Heisuke's room, I laid down in the bedding that still hadn't been made or touched since I got out of it a few hours before. I pulled the blanket over my head and closed my eyes, silently weeping once more, as if I hadn't already cried enough.

The tears simply slipped through my eyelids, easing dripping down my face and onto the pillow. But I didn't care if this got wet. It wasn't like anyone else here would use it now... I inhaled deeply, shakily, and exhaled in a blissful sigh. It still smelled like him... I smiled sadly through the tears blurring in my eyes.

"It's only been a few hours or so and I already miss you, Heisuke..." I mumbled to myself as I sniffled away my tears, and falling asleep through utter emotional exhaustion.

"-aki! Chiaki! Chiaki, wake up!" I felt the urge to shove the person who'd rudely woken me up. I shifted, grumbling and mumbling under my breath as I tried to block that person out. "Chiaki, let's go. It's time for dinner." Chizuru said, her voice firm, but wavering slightly. "Oh, Chiaki..." She murmured, watching me as I ignored her. Her eyes probably filled with concern as she kneeled there at my bedside.

"Just, leave me alone." I sighed. "Please, Chizuru. Just leave me alone."

It was silent for a few moments before I heard her get up and walk back over to the door. "I'll make sure to save you some food... So just come out when you're ready." She said warmly, as gentle as how a mother would talk to their child.

"I'll never be ready..." I mumbled. "Not without Heisuke..."

I heard her sigh sadly, "I know... I miss them, too." I bit back the urge to snap at her. She didn't know what I felt. She couldn't. She was never as close to Heisuke as I was. She doesn't love him like I do. But she will miss them, too. I argued internally. Just not the same way. And that's what kept me quiet.

Without another thought, I let out, "I want him back..." I felt my voice quivering, lips trembling and body shaking, with tears forming in my eyes. And here I thought I'd gotten rid of them for a while. I thought bitterly.

Chizuru rushed towards me and brought me into her sisterly embrace. She held me close, rubbing circles on my back... Sometimes she reminded me of a mother. After I'd felt pathetic enough, I willed myself with all my emotional strength to stop crying, and eventually, it worked.

Pulling back, I sniffled, and Chizuru beat me to speaking. "Are you feeling a little better?" I simply nodded silently, before thanking her softly in my naturally quiet voice. "I'm just glad you're feeling better. You were worrying me... but I know you are feeling pain because of Heisuke's departure." I simply nodded.

"Chizuru." I started, gaining her attention. "I love you. You're the best sister anyone could have ever asked for." She smiled and brought me into another sisterly embrace, before pulling back with a small grin on her lips.

"Now, let's get some dinner." Smiling, I wiped away my wet eyes, before nodding, and getting up with Chizuru to go get some dinner.

I need to smile... I reminded myself. If not for myself, then for him. Then for Chizuru. Then for everyone.

That night I sat on the steps of one of the buildings of the headquarters. I stared into the starry night sky with a full moon. It was beautiful like it always was, but I remembered only a few weeks ago, Heisuke and I had sat at the same spot, looking out into the sky and relishing in the blissful peace of the moment.

I wonder... Was Heisuke looking up into the night sky, too? Was he looking at the same starry sky? Was he missing me as much as I missed him?

My moments of peace and quiet were ruined, however, when someone spoke up, "Why are you out here by yourself?" I turned back to look at the person and found myself staring into Okita's green, calculative eyes.

"Oh, it's you..." I deadpanned, acting normal.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He whined. He was met with silence, though.

With a sigh, he sat down next to me, staring into the sky. "Do think he's staring at the sky, too? Looking at the same stars?"

Startled by my question, Okita glances at me while I continue to stare at the sky intently, watching as light travels across the sky like a shooting star. I made a silent wish to be able to see Heisuke, alive, once more, before hearing my reply.

"Probably." Was all Okita said, and it was my turn to stare at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Is all I utter out. "I just... I just miss him so much..." I mumble under my breath, but Okita catches it.

"He misses you, too. I know it. But this is the path he chose and you just have to respect." I nodded, and he continued, probably regardless of whether I nodded or not. "He'll find a way to see you again. Heisuke's a good boy. Whatever promise he's made with you, or whatever he's told you, he'll live up to it. If not immediately, then eventually. You'll see."

I smiled and nodded. After a pause of surprisingly comfortable silence, I said, still gazing at the stars. "You know, you're not that bad. Right now, you're actually a pretty decent human being."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He asked/whined.

I giggled and felt myself feel a little better. "Thanks for cheering me up, Souji."

"Anytime, Chiaki. But if I see you depressed again," he pauses, and then smirks, "I'll kill you." I chuckled and so did he after, before saying, "But seriously, please don't do that again. Chizuru-chan was soo~ worried and kept on bothering us about it. It was annoying."

"Yet you listened to her nonetheless." I was met with silence, so I kept talking. "Chizuru's oblivious to a lot and is a little bit of an airhead, but I wouldn't ask for a better sister. She's been like both a sister and a mother to me all these years, and while it gets annoying at times, I can't see myself living without her. And I know you all see it, too. She's really something special, and she cares for everyone above herself..."

Where was I going with this again? I asked myself internally, trailing off my rant to Okita, and then sighing.

Okita nodded. He got up and gave me his hand, which I gladly took, helping me up. "Yeah. Your sister's really something..." He said. "But one day, she's going to kill me with all of her running off and careless, impulsive actions."

I laughed, before thanking Okita once more and walking off to Heisuke's room.

It was a few days after Heisuke had left, and I was alone; sitting in the courtyard on the same bench we'd sat at only days ago, giving each other confessions and heartfelt and teary goodbyes...

I sighed at the memory, leaning back on my hands and looking up into the sky. The puffy, white clouds floating around in the sky was beautiful, and I reached out a hand as if I could grab one fluffy cloud into my hands and bring it towards me and send it to Heisuke...

If only...

I was startled when I heard Harada and Nagakura. "So that's where you've been sneaking off to," Nagakura said, sighing. With a start, a whirl around to see them walking over.

"Hey, Chiaki. How are you feeling?" Harada asks.

"Fine, I guess." I shrug. "What are you guys doing over here?"

"Looking for you," Nagakura replies bluntly.

"Why?" I asked, tilting my head.

"You haven't gone on rounds in a few days! Let's go!" They said, and with reluctance, I joined them.

"So where is the route this time?" I asked. I was ignored. Wow. Just- Wow. "Wait, why aren't there the other men? Why is it just the three of us?" I asked.

"Okay, so... we lied about the rounds," Nagakura said, admitting their true intentions sheepishly.

"What? Why?" I asked, surprising them with my calm demeanor. With Chizuru, it would have been different... very different...

"Well, you've been really sad for a while, so we figured to let you loosen up a bit. You're one of us by now, and being depressed isn't something a rational you would want. You've even told us a while ago to put a stop to it if you ever got depressed, because of how depressed Chizuru-chan had become a while ago." Harada explained.

"Oh..." I felt a small smile creep onto my face. "Thank guys..."

"No problem. Anything to make you smile again." Harada said. My smile widened and I looked down.

"You're all the best..." I muttered under my breath, before inhaling and exhaling deeply. With happiness filling my eyes, I looked up at them with a grin. "Let's have some fun!"

It was late at night when we were walking back to the headquarters, and I felt rejuvenated in happiness. "Thank you guys- for going out of your ways to make me feel better."

"No problem. You've been feeling really sad and everyone was getting worried." Harada smiled.

"Yeah! Even Souji went out of his way the other night to try to cheer you up." Nagakura exclaimed.

I suddenly stopped walking. I turned around and looked up into the sky, at the stars, as if some sort of message came to me from the celestial orbs of light. I felt myself smile and look down.

Yeah... I thought. He's definitely looking at the same sky, of the same stars, and I can't wait until we get to look at the same sky, and the same stars, together...

 **A/N: Okay, so I know this was a short** **one, but I thought it was a good filler chapter to put in. Hope you enjoyed! Bye bye! See you next update**.


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